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2020–21 Champions Hockey League
Tournament details
Dates Cancelled
Teams 32

The 2020–21 Champions Hockey League was scheduled to be the seventh season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. The tournament was planned to be competed by 32 teams, with qualification being on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues would have been represented by between three and five teams (based on a three-year league ranking), while seven "challenge leagues" were to be represented by one team each. An additional spot would have been awarded to the 2019–20 IIHF Continental Cup winner. On October 13, 2020, it was announced that the CHL board of directors had cancelled the tournament as the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe had not improved.[1]

Team allocation[]

A total of 32 teams from different European first-tier leagues would have participated in the 2020–21 Champions Hockey League. Besides the Continental Cup champions, 24 teams from the six founding leagues, as well as the national champions from Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, France, Belarus, Great Britain and Poland could have qualified.

The qualification for these places is set out in the rules as follows:[2]

  1. CHL champions
  2. National league champions (play-off winners)
  3. Regular season winners
  4. Regular season runners-up
  5. Regular season third-placed team
  6. Regular season fourth-placed team
  7. Regular season fifth-placed team

For the Austrian Hockey League teams are however picked in this order:[2]

  1. League champions
  2. Regular season winners
  3. Pick Round winners
  4. Pick Round runners-up
  5. Losing playoff finalists

Note: Great Britain is the lone exception as the EIHL, in line with their traditions, determine their national champion following the regular season (not in the playoffs).[3]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, many leagues were forced to cancel their seasons early. Places usually reserved for the playoff champions of those leagues were given to the next best team from the regular season, or in the Austrian Hockey League's case, the next best team from the regular season pick round.[4] In the case of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the team leading the regular season at the time of its cancellation were given its Champions Hockey League place.[5] HC '05 Banská Bystrica qualified for the CHL as Slovak Tipsport liga's regular season champion but had to withdraw due to issues related to the arena. They were replaced by HC Neman Grodno.[6]

On 15 September, the CHL announced that the Cardiff Devils had withdrawn from the league due to the suspension of the 2020–21 EIHL season. No new team would replace them.[7]

Teams[]

Team City/Area League Qualification Participation Previous Best
Flag of Sweden Frölunda HC Göteborg Swedish Hockey League 2020 CHL winner 7th Champion
Flag of Sweden Luleå HF Luleå Swedish Hockey League regular season winner 5th Champion
Flag of Sweden Färjestad BK Karlstad Swedish Hockey League regular season runner-up 5th Round of 16
Flag of Sweden Rögle BK Ängelholm Swedish Hockey League regular season third 1st First appearance
Flag of Sweden Skellefteå AIK Skellefteå Swedish Hockey League regular season fourth 6th Semi-finals
Flag of Switzerland ZSC Lions Zürich National League regular season winner 6th Quarter-finals
Flag of Switzerland EV Zug Zug National League regular season runner-up 7th Quarter-finals
Flag of Switzerland HC Davos Davos National League regular season third 4th Semi-finals
Flag of Switzerland Genève-Servette HC Geneva National League regular season fourth 3rd Round of 16
Flag of Switzerland EHC Biel Biel/Bienne National League regular season fifth 2nd Quarter-finals
Flag of Germany Red Bull München Munich Deutsche Eishockey Liga regular season winner 6th Final
Flag of Germany Adler Mannheim Mannheim Deutsche Eishockey Liga regular season runner-up 6th Round of 16
Flag of Germany Straubing Tigers Straubing Deutsche Eishockey Liga regular season third 1st First appearance
Flag of Germany Eisbären Berlin Berlin Deutsche Eishockey Liga regular season fourth 5th Round of 16
Flag of Finland Kärpät Oulu SM-liiga regular season winner 6th Final
Flag of Finland Lukko Rauma SM-liiga regular season runner-up 4th Semi-finals
Flag of Finland Tappara Tampere SM-liiga regular season third 7th Round of 16
Flag of Finland Ilves Tampere SM-liiga regular season fourth 1st First appearance
Flag of the Czech Republic Bílí Tygři Liberec Liberec Czech Extraliga regular season winner 6th Semi-finals
Flag of the Czech Republic Oceláři Třinec Třinec Czech Extraliga regular season runner-up 6th Semi-finals
Flag of the Czech Republic HC Sparta Praha Prague Czech Extraliga regular season third 4th Final
Flag of Austria Red Bull Salzburg Salzburg Austrian Hockey League regular season first round winner 6th Semi-finals
Flag of Italy HC Bolzano Bolzano Austrian Hockey League regular season pick round winner 3rd Round of 16
Flag of Austria Vienna Capitals Vienna Austrian Hockey League regular season pick round third 7th Round of 16
Flag of Denmark SønderjyskE Ishockey Vojens Metal Ligaen Continental Cup winner 3rd Group stage
Flag of Denmark Aalborg Pirates[8] Aalborg Metal Ligaen regular season winner 2nd Group stage
Flag of Belarus Yunost Minsk Minsk Belarusian Extraleague play-off champion 4th Round of 16
Flag of Belarus HC Neman Grodno Grodno Belarusian Extraleague regular season runner-up 4th Group stage
Flag of France Brûleurs de Loups Grenoble Ligue Magnus regular season winner 3rd Group stage
Flag of Norway Stavanger Oilers Stavanger GET-ligaen regular season champion 5th Round of 32
Flag of Poland GKS Tychy Tychy Polska Hokej Liga regular season champion 3rd Group stage

Play-offs[]

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group stage was skipped and the season would have started with a 32-team play-off in October. However, this will no longer happen as the season was cancelled on October 13, 2020.[1][9]

Round of 32   Round of 16   Quarterfinals   Semifinals   Final
 Flag of the Czech Republic Bílí Tygři Liberec  
 Flag of Poland GKS Tychy        
 Flag of Finland Kärpät      
 Flag of Denmark Aalborg Pirates          
 Flag of the Czech Republic Oceláři Třinec          
 Flag of Belarus Yunost Minsk      
 Flag of Austria Red Bull Salzburg      
 Flag of Finland Tappara          
 Flag of Germany Straubing Tigers          
 Flag of Switzerland Genève-Servette HC        
 Flag of Sweden Rögle BK      
 Flag of Norway Stavanger Oilers        
 Flag of Germany Red Bull München          
 Flag of Finland Ilves      
 Flag of Finland Lukko      
 Flag of the Czech Republic HC Sparta Praha        
 Flag of Sweden Luleå HF        
 Flag of Germany Eisbären Berlin        
 Flag of Germany Adler Mannheim      
 Flag of France Brûleurs de Loups          
 Flag of Sweden Frölunda HC          
 Flag of Belarus Neman Grodno      
 Flag of Italy HC Bolzano      
 Flag of Switzerland EHC Biel        
 Flag of Sweden Färjestad BK          
 Flag of Wales Cardiff Devils (withdrew)[7]      Flag of Sweden Färjestad BK  
 Flag of Switzerland HC Davos      
 Flag of Austria Vienna Capitals        
 Flag of Switzerland EV Zug          
 Flag of Sweden Skellefteå AIK      
 Flag of Switzerland ZSC Lions      
 Flag of Denmark SønderjyskE Ishockey  

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 2020/21 CHL season cancelled (en).
  2. 2.0 2.1 Qualification criteria updated for 2019/20. championshockeyleague.com (19 September 2018).
  3. The CHL Format. championshockeyleague.com.
  4. WHO'S QUALIFIED FOR 2020/21?. championshockeyleague.com (9 March 2020).
  5. "No League Champions in 2019/20 - Devils to enter CHL", Elite Ice Hockey League, Pendulum Management, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020. 
  6. CHL plans to start the season on 6 October (28 April 2020). Retrieved on 28 April 2020.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Cardiff Devils withdraw from the CHL 2020/21 (28 April 2020). Retrieved on 11 October 2020.
  8. Søvsø, Michael. "Metal Liga-sæsonen 2019/20 afsluttes øjeblikkeligt", Metal Ligaen, 12 March 2020. 
  9. CHL plans to start the season on 6 October. championshockeyleague.com (2020-04-28).}
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