ZURICH – The two-day workshop with the 14 participating clubs taking part in the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League (including the qualification tournament) was concluded today in Zurich. Among several other organisational issues, the clubs were informed about the transfer & eligibility regulations that will be in place for the inaugural 2008-2009 season.

The underlying principle of these regulations is to have them reflect and take into consideration customary player movement in today’s hockey, but at the same time protect the integrity of the competition and to restrict short-term “speculative transfers”.

Here is the summary of the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League transfer deadlines:

++ Transfer deadline for the Qualifying Tournament in Nuremberg:
Monday, September 4.
Any new player transferring with respect to this deadline must be registered with the new club latest at midnight on September 4. This transfer deadline refers only to the Sinupret IceTigers, Nuremberg (GER), SC Bern (SUI) and HC Kosice (SVK). The Qualifying Tournament will be played September 12-14.  

See below for the schedule of the Qualifying Tournament.

++ First Champions Hockey League Group Stage transfer deadline:
Tuesday, September 30. (Group Stage starts on October 8). The players that the 12 clubs register on this date are eligible to take part in the first three rounds of the Group Stage: October 8, 22 and 29.

++ Transfer Period, October 30 – November 3. During this five-day period, the clubs can register two (2) new players for the purpose of Champions Hockey League participation.

++ Final transfer deadline:
Monday, November 3. (Second part of the Group Stage starts on November 12). After November 3, no more changes can be made to the clubs’ Champions Hockey League rosters. The rosters that the clubs register with the IIHF as of this deadline are final for the remainder of the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League season. The last game of the home-and-away final is on January 28.

NOTES: A player cannot compete for two Champions Hockey League teams in one season. There will be no nationality restrictions as far as player eligibility is concerned in the Champions Hockey League.

Tickets for the Champions Hockey League qualifying tournament on sale at www.icetigers.de

Sinupret Ice Tigers has today started the ticket sale for the Champions Hockey League qualifying tournament to be held at the Nurnberger Versicherung Arena, Nuremberg, Germany

Tickets are available through www.icetigers.de.

Event schedule of the qualifying tournament:
Friday, September 12, 19:30 Sinupret IceTigers - SC Bern
Saturday, September 13, 18:30 SC Bern – HC Kosice
Sunday, September 14, 18:30 HC Kosice – Sinupret IceTigers

The winning team will be slotted into Champions Hockey League, Group B together with HV71 Jonkoping (SWE) and Espoo Blues (FIN).