2014-2015 Champions Hockey League

[Exarz]

Swiss Cup games are included. And if they included CHL games as well, people would come and watch. Last time they played in front of 8'000 people, which in Bern is horrible.

There's a Swiss cup?

You learn something new every day!

 

[Slimmy]

CHL had always issue with many game in exhibition tempo. Always some games had looked weaker than games at Spengler cup.

Wasn't the previous CHL attempts practically pre-season exhibition games? In the current format you have the bulk of the games played mid-season.

 

[AlanHUK]

Will this get broken down into group threads once the schedule is announced?

 

[SCBdude]

There's a Swiss cup?

You learn something new every day!

They brought it back for this year. Wonder how it will do, but since season tickets give you access to the games, I think it will do fine.

 

[Exarz]

They brought it back for this year. Wonder how it will do, but since season tickets give you access to the games, I think it will do fine.

Sorry for heading OT, but will it contain NLA and NLB teams, or just NLA teams?

 

[Jussi]

Wasn't the previous CHL attempts practically pre-season exhibition games? In the current format you have the bulk of the games played mid-season.

Previous CHL was called the Champion's Cup and took place during the season.

 

[SCBdude]

Sorry for heading OT, but will it contain NLA and NLB teams, or just NLA teams?

NLA, NLB and the best 1. Liga teams. There will be some horrible beatdowns in the first round when some NLA teams play 1. Liga teams.

 

[Flou]

Funny this coming from a Swede. Your league and hockey are permanently plundered by the NHL. The KHL in the long run would give you a chnace to ave your swedish stars play at home in front of you actually and not in the middle of the night. Yet, you see the KHL as a threat and wish it to fail.

I'm no Swede, but I'll use Jokerit as an example. Why would I want to watch Jokerit play? Like most non-Jokerit fans in Finland I have no connection with the team other than wishing them to lose, so why would I suddenly start supporting them after they switch the league they are playing in? They are still team from Helsinki, while I live currently in Helsinki I have no deep connection with the team unlike with JYP. They are just a team I've loathed pretty much whole live playing against a bunch of foreign teams that I have no connection to either, no rivalries, no nothing.

And even if they managed to steal Määttä, Vatanen, Immonen and Hytönen into the team I would still have a damn hard time throwing any money at the team. I might watch few games here and there if it costed me nothing, but other than that no thank you.

And basically the team is now Russian owned, while Harkimo still has 51% control of the team the Rotenberg family runs the show now with their money. So there goes the feeling of the team being even Finnish. It's just a team located in Finland where most of the players are from Finland. Not that it matters, not a fan of Harkimo either... But it shows how hard it will be for any European team to actually make it in KHL. Your budget will have to be improved drastically and you might alienate half of your original fan base + you will have to negotiate all new contracts with the media and sponsors which might cost you a fortune if there's no huge interest shown at the endeavour of conquering KHL.

Then let's look at JYP playing in CHL. The team stays with the current owner, will still face those same teams from Liiga that I know and I have emotions/feelings about, the rivalries are still there and as a bonus we will be facing few foreign teams each season which will hopefully spurn new and improved rivalries across the borders not immediately but slowly and gradually.

Yes, the prize money is currently still quite smallish, yes the NHL and KHL will still take away our best players, but I don't care. It's the team I love and support. If CHL succeeds it will be a huge difference maker in the long run, no one is expecting it to make a huge splash immediately. But slowly it might push ice-hockey forward as a sport in Europe, it might give the teams participating a huge push financially to be able to hold onto their players more effectively if not against the NHL then against the KHL if the talent and level of gameplay evolve as well. And hopefully someday the KHL will be involved as well, not on their terms, but on the terms the founding members want them in.

 

[Babula]

is schedule announced already ? I wonder, what date it has to start.

 

[Eisdork]

is schedule announced already ? I wonder, what date it has to start.

The Eisbären Berlin tweeted that a schedule will be announced EARLIEST on Wednesday due to the necessary scheduling with the arena operator and TV-partners.

Which is interesting, so there is already a TV-partner?

 

[Jussi]

The Eisbären Berlin tweeted that a schedule will be announced EARLIEST on Wednesday due to the necessary scheduling with the arena operator and TV-partners.

Which is interesting, so there is already a TV-partner?

In Finland it's on MTV3 (though pay-tv), Sweden on SVT (free tv).

 

[eme]

I'm no Swede, but I'll use Jokerit as an example. Why would I want to watch Jokerit play? Like most non-Jokerit fans in Finland I have no connection with the team other than wishing them to lose, so why would I suddenly start supporting them after they switch the league they are playing in? They are still team from Helsinki, while I live currently in Helsinki I have no deep connection with the team unlike with JYP. They are just a team I've loathed pretty much whole live playing against a bunch of foreign teams that I have no connection to either, no rivalries, no nothing.

And even if they managed to steal Määttä, Vatanen, Immonen and Hytönen into the team I would still have a damn hard time throwing any money at the team. I might watch few games here and there if it costed me nothing, but other than that no thank you.

And basically the team is now Russian owned, while Harkimo still has 51% control of the team the Rotenberg family runs the show now with their money. So there goes the feeling of the team being even Finnish. It's just a team located in Finland where most of the players are from Finland. Not that it matters, not a fan of Harkimo either... But it shows how hard it will be for any European team to actually make it in KHL. Your budget will have to be improved drastically and you might alienate half of your original fan base + you will have to negotiate all new contracts with the media and sponsors which might cost you a fortune if there's no huge interest shown at the endeavour of conquering KHL.

Then let's look at JYP playing in CHL. The team stays with the current owner, will still face those same teams from Liiga that I know and I have emotions/feelings about, the rivalries are still there and as a bonus we will be facing few foreign teams each season which will hopefully spurn new and improved rivalries across the borders not immediately but slowly and gradually.

Yes, the prize money is currently still quite smallish, yes the NHL and KHL will still take away our best players, but I don't care. It's the team I love and support. If CHL succeeds it will be a huge difference maker in the long run, no one is expecting it to make a huge splash immediately. But slowly it might push ice-hockey forward as a sport in Europe, it might give the teams participating a huge push financially to be able to hold onto their players more effectively if not against the NHL then against the KHL if the talent and level of gameplay evolve as well. And hopefully someday the KHL will be involved as well, not on their terms, but on the terms the founding members want them in.

Pretty much this. I'm sad that Jokerit will join the KHL, since the team will become irrelevant to me. I'm a fan of HIFK, so I will miss the derbies, yet I wish HIFK never follows suit and moves to KHL.

As Jussi said, in finland it's MTV3. I'm really keen on buying the package, but not if Saukkonen commentates a single game :p. Really hate that guy.

 

[Coog]

I'm positive. I think it will be good fun and if this could build hockey in Europe, great I say! Just wish Färjestad would have gotten at least one of the "exotic" teams from England or France. Would make for a fun away trip.

 

[Jablkon]

I'm not going to compare Spengler with CHL, nevermind. If you have banner celebrating the win in CHL, for me it means nothing. Probably the less than participating at Spengler.

I actually do not understand why you critizes this project so much. I also remember matches against Manchester storm etc. But those times are really past now. And czech clubs simply need this competition. 15 years ago Sparta could play in group for 20% and then played hard against Magnitogorsk. But it is not like this anymore. We need this competition for three reasons: 1. improve quality of our players/teams,2. stop KHL, 3. there should be smth. like this in Europe.

 

[Jussi]

I actually do not understand why you critizes this project so much. I also remember matches against Manchester storm etc. But those times are really past now. And czech clubs simply need this competition. 15 years ago Sparta could play in group for 20% and then played hard against Magnitogorsk. But it is not like this anymore. We need this competition for three reasons: 1. improve quality of our players/teams,2. stop KHL, 3. there should be smth. like this in Europe.

This was one of the main reason the clubs wanted to create this competition. All the other major team sports in Europe have similar competitions, hockey can't be the odd sport out. There's a desire to "find out who the European champion is".

 

[Jablkon]

This was one of the main reason the clubs wanted to create this competition. All the other major team sports in Europe have similar competitions, hockey can't be the odd sport out. There's a desire to "find out who the European champion is".

I hope it will works when it is mostly european clubs project (I know Sparta did a lot to establish it). I pretty much also liked europen trophy. I watched one game against finnish team and it was very entertaining. Whats more important - in the end no one wanted to loose, they took it quite seriously.

Unfortunately, in CZ there are still a lot of players and maybe even entire teams which consider it as preparation for league. Once we change this mentality, it will be one imporant step to attrackt fans....

 

[Babula]

I actually do not understand why you critizes this project so much. I also remember matches against Manchester storm etc. But those times are really past now. And czech clubs simply need this competition. 15 years ago Sparta could play in group for 20% and then played hard against Magnitogorsk. But it is not like this anymore. We need this competition for three reasons: 1. improve quality of our players/teams,2. stop KHL, 3. there should be smth. like this in Europe.

We need strong CHL in Europe for decades. In these circumstances, it seems that if there is not KHL there would be no CHL. It produced the new label for CHL, late in the day.

Anyway, don't you think there is too much competition, under the heading Sportovni holding, right now ?

 

[Jablkon]

We need strong CHL in Europe for decades. In these circumstances, it seems that if there is not KHL there would be no CHL. It produced the new label for CHL, late in the day.

Anyway, don't you think there is too much competition, under the heading Sportovni holding, right now ?

Compettition maybe. But let's look how it is now. They put a lot of money into Lev Prague so it is half czech/half international team. Not sure if it is helpful for CZ hockey.

What I simply think is that czech teams need confrontation to get back CZ hockey where it should be....And of course I am strictly against KHL expand which cannibalizes european leagues....

 

[Babula]

Compettition maybe. But let's look how it is now. They put a lot of money into Lev Prague so it is half czech/half international team. Not sure if it is helpful for CZ hockey.

What I simply think is that czech teams need confrontation to get back CZ hockey where it should be....And of course I am strictly against KHL expand which cannibalizes european leagues....

Don't think that CHL is going to be more helpful for CZ hockey than KHL is. If you think so, it is the better to put off the pink glasses.

 

[Jussi]

I hope it will works when it is mostly european clubs project (I know Sparta did a lot to establish it). I pretty much also liked europen trophy. I watched one game against finnish team and it was very entertaining. Whats more important - in the end no one wanted to loose, they took it quite seriously.

Unfortunately, in CZ there are still a lot of players and maybe even entire teams which consider it as preparation for league. Once we change this mentality, it will be one imporant step to attrackt fans....

This was one of the reason the Nordic and European Trophies were also created, teams wanted more incentive for the pre-season games to get a better idea of players commitment and to get rid of games with zero purpose/motivation for players.

 

[Jablkon]

Don't think that CHL is going to be more helpful for CZ hockey than KHL is. If you think so, it is the better to put off the pink glasses.

I do not really know how KHL is helpful. I see some benefit in Sekac who really made big step. Except Slavia which had a problem with timing of the league, all the czech clubs participating on European trophy were pretty saticfied, especially with the level of hockey. So, yes, it might be expensive, with no attendence, but the quality should be very decent.

To be honest, I do not know what to expect from Nottingham, but generally I do not believe there wil be so much scores like 10:1 or smth like this. Btw. I remember last year Sparta against Slovan in Bratislava. This would be f....ing big in Prague. Unfortunately Slovan choosed different way.....

 

[frank16]

I actually do not understand why you critizes this project so much. I also remember matches against Manchester storm etc. But those times are really past now. And czech clubs simply need this competition. 15 years ago Sparta could play in group for 20% and then played hard against Magnitogorsk.

Just to be clear, Manchester Storm played Sparta Prague in the 97/98 European Hockey League. Manchester won in Prague 4-3 and then beat Sparta at home 7-0. The game in Manchester had an attendance of 7,000

 

[van22]

Personally I look forward to this CHL as it gives the opportunity to see other teams play. At the end of the day it will either gain momentum and get the same legitimacy as soccer CHL or just never take off. But for this year, for me, it just means more hockey and I look forward to that.

Anyway, I have been trying to assess the participating teams but there is a bit of a language barrier...
It would be nice if one could give some insight on their respective countries team (even something as basic as yearly performance in their national league/ anyone on the team roster that was at the recent Worlds) or a link in English would be great.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Just to be clear, Manchester Storm played Sparta Prague in the 97/98 European Hockey League. Manchester won in Prague 4-3 and then beat Sparta at home 7-0. The game in Manchester had an attendance of 7,000

That was a completely different era, the British league was 99% North Americans and much better standard than it is now

Since then Manchester aren't even playing at the top level and get attendances of less than 2,000

 

[QnebO]

In Finland it's on MTV3 (though pay-tv), Sweden on SVT (free tv).

It's MTV, not MTV3. It changed name while ago. Only the free channel at number 3 is still MTV3.