New European Club Competetion getting closer

16 Oct 2013 | Fredrik Pålsson

Another step against a "Champions League" of ice hockey is taken as clubs, the IIHF and national associations form a company that will organize the new tournament.

A new company, European Ice Hockey Club Competition (EICC) AG, has been formed in Switzerland to organize the new European Club Competition in ice hockey that will replace the unofficial tournament European Trophy that has been run by the club. The new tournament will be organized in cooperation of the IIHF, the national associations and the clubs which will make the tournament stronger. Also the problems with players missing games due to national team games played on the same dates as European Trophy will be avoided.

There is no official format announced yet but according to Swedish media the company will be owned to 65 % by the 24 clubs that formed the European Trophy. All these clubs will automatically be qualified for the tournament as long as they play in the top division in it's home country. (In Sweden one of the forming clubs Djurgården is currently playing in Hockeyallsvenskan). The Swedish, Finnish, Austrian (multinational EBEL), Swiss, German and Czech league will own a total of 25 % of the shares and the two best teams from each league will also be qualfied for the tournament. The IIHF will own the remaining 10 % of the shares and wildcards will given to teams from other European leagues or even KHL to make a total of 40 teams in the tournament.