Continental Cup 2025–26: a new look with a six-team final

The 2025–26 IIHF Continental Cup will introduce a fresh twist to its long-running format, as this year’s competition will conclude with a six-team final for the first time in its history. Fourteen clubs from across Europe will compete for the right to play in Nottingham, Great Britain, where the decisive stage takes place in mid-January 2026. 

The action begins on October 17–19, with the traditional first round split into two groups.

• Group A (Vilnius, Lithuania): Hockey Punks, the host club, will face HK Mogo (Latvia), Narva PSK (Estonia), and Skautafélag Akureyrar (Iceland). Notably, the Icelandic side entered the tournament after KHL Sisak (Croatia) withdrew from the competition.

• Group B (Gheorgheni/Remete, Romania): Local champion Gyergyói HK welcomes Budapest JAHC (Hungary), HC Kremenchuk (Ukraine), and Crvena Zvezda (Serbia).

The winners of these groups will progress to the next stage.

From there, the tournament shifts to Angers, France, where Ducs d’Angers will host the second-round group. They will be joined by SC Cortina (Italy), who received a bye to this stage, alongside the two first-round winners. Only the top two finishers in this pool will advance to the final.

The Grand Final will take place in Nottingham, marking the first time the decisive stage features six teams instead of four. Joining the two Round 2 qualifiers will be:

• Nottingham Panthers (GBR) – host club and 2017 champions

• Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk (KAZ) – returning after years away, bronze medallists in 2008

• GKS Katowice (POL) – finalists for the fourth straight season, bronze medallists in 2025

• Herning Blue Fox (DEN) – silver medallists in both 2016 and 2024

The final will be split into two groups of three, with details of the format and schedule to be confirmed closer to the tournament.

The Panthers will look to repeat their 2017 triumph, but strong challengers await. Katowice have been one of the most consistent Continental Cup teams in recent years, while Angers Ducs carry pedigree on home ice, having finished second in 2023 and third in 2015.

Among the outsiders, Gyergyói HK represent an intriguing story. Founded in 1949, the Romanian club has risen sharply since entering the Hungarian Erste Liga in 2018. After winning that league in 2023 and adding their first national championship in 2024, they will make their Continental Cup debut this season.

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