2015-16 Champions Hockey League

[SoupyFIN]

As an American Hockey fan, i think the CHL is great idea. It introduces all the European leagues and makes them interesting. However, it does not look like it is being well received in Europe except maybe by the lower rank nations.

Why is this tournament playing to empty arenas?

Is it because:

-there is no KHL.
-Teams have A license (Automatic qualified)
-Too many teams.
-Teams and fans are not familiar with the other teams and leagues
-or is it something else?

People simply are more interested in their own domestic league games and see the CHL as an exhibition tournament.

And at least for the Finnish teams, CHL games aren't included for season ticket holders.

 

[Jablkon]

As an American Hockey fan, i think the CHL is great idea. It introduces all the European leagues and makes them interesting. However, it does not look like it is being well received in Europe except maybe by the lower rank nations.

Why is this tournament playing to empty arenas?

Is it because:

-there is no KHL.
-Teams have A license (Automatic qualified)
-Too many teams.
-Teams and fans are not familiar with the other teams and leagues
-or is it something else?

I believe if the CHL does not become successful. Than top Euro clubs will create a super league or join KHL.

KHL is definetely a factor. On the other hand if you add KHL teams you would have to cut a lot of teams which simply can not afford to travel to Russia for one match three or four times in a season. Bearing in mind that if you want to cover your costs in this League you have to get at least to the semifinal.

Only reason which I see from czech perspective is: i. lack of promotion; ii. czech fans probably like their tick tack toe easy hockey without so many physical aspects, otherwise I can not find the reason why wouldnt they attned CHL matches which are in a lot of cases on higher level than Extraliga matches.

Still, considering that average attendance in euro leagues is around 6000 and CHL numbers increasing for +-500 (just my opinion) compare to last year, I wish there is a chance to keep it.

All the czech clubs definetely benefit from this matches. If you create Super league composed just of each league champion, it would be gold for fans, not that match for the development of euro hockey. Having 6 out of 14 teams from CZ league in CHL is definetely better than one...

 

[eme]

I think people are too fast to judge the CHL as a failure based on the attendance numbers of the first two seasons. Could it be better? Absolutely. And if the attendance numbers are as low as they are now in five years time, then the league will have a problem.

Average attendance has grown from last year, and hopefully it will increase again next year. It's still a new product, and while the group stage might have certain practise game feel to them, the games will certainly intensify with the playoffs.

In terms of attendance, CHL is for now following the path of the Basketball euroleague. The first few years, teams had similiar numbers, while the league now attracts a lot higher audience. Will CHL ever achieve that? Hard to say, but jumping the gun after one and a half seasons played seems a bit rushed to me.

 

[Fragmuffin]

The unfamiliarity with other teams is key... the fact that fans don't have a hockey equivalent to a Bayer, Barcelona or Juventus takes a great toll.
It is mainly a result of a lack of a continuous, strong and relevant european competition, people do not know who the big guns are, who are the teams you want to beat, there are no rivalries yet etc.
THe dates in which this competition takes place are also a great hindrance to any recognition... the group phase is merely a glorified pre season tourney, I am well aware that the hockey season schedule is tight, but this is a major issue that has to be sorted out immediately if there is to be some progress.
But CHL is a great idea, I personally wouldn't want KHL clubs in it. CHange the dates so that it appeals to the fans, make it a qualification only tourney, have groups of 4 (a successful group phase is key, it keeps the weaker teams in the tournament longer, thus more teams feel that they are actually a part of the CHL), but most importantly... have patience. Let people get accustomed to this league, let rivalries grow, let teams make names for themselves and gain recognition in the hockey world.

 

[Lataba76]

As an American Hockey fan, i think the CHL is great idea. It introduces all the European leagues and makes them interesting. However, it does not look like it is being well received in Europe except maybe by the lower rank nations.

Why is this tournament playing to empty arenas?

Is it because:

-there is no KHL.
-Teams have A license (Automatic qualified)
-Too many teams.
-Teams and fans are not familiar with the other teams and leagues
-or is it something else?

I believe if the CHL does not become successful. Than top Euro clubs will create a super league or join KHL.

Yes i think the CHL is to large! It is better ist is a small competition. 2 groups with 2 teams from KHL,SHL and LIIGA. And 2 places for qualifier!

The qualifier tornament also with 2 groups! Here are 2 teams from DEL,Extraliga,NLA. 1 team from EBEL. The last place is for the europe continental cup winner.

 

[Exarz]

Get the KHL to cooperate and enter the tournament, decrease the amount of teams to 32, don't play the group stage during pre season, get rid of the A-license (which will happen for the 2017-18 season) and get rid of the silly Top Scorer jersey.

Profit.

 

[Jussi]

As an American Hockey fan, i think the CHL is great idea. It introduces all the European leagues and makes them interesting. However, it does not look like it is being well received in Europe except maybe by the lower rank nations.

Why is this tournament playing to empty arenas?

Is it because:

-there is no KHL.
-Teams have A license (Automatic qualified)
-Too many teams.
-Teams and fans are not familiar with the other teams and leagues
-or is it something else?

I believe if the CHL does not become successful. Than top Euro clubs will create a super league or join KHL.

The top clubs are already behind the CHL. They also won't join the KHL because it's too costly without Russian backing (Jokerit made a rumored 10ish milliion euro loss from last season which the Russians covered but they won't do it for more than 3-5 seasons) and with the state of the Russian economy and the genereal attitude in KHL changing from sponsoring European teams to supporting Russian clubs, unlikely.

 

[Jussi]

KHL is definetely a factor. On the other hand if you add KHL teams you would have to cut a lot of teams which simply can not afford to travel to Russia for one match three or four times in a season. Bearing in mind that if you want to cover your costs in this League you have to get at least to the semifinal.

Only reason which I see from czech perspective is: i. lack of promotion; ii. czech fans probably like their tick tack toe easy hockey without so many physical aspects, otherwise I can not find the reason why wouldnt they attned CHL matches which are in a lot of cases on higher level than Extraliga matches.

Still, considering that average attendance in euro leagues is around 6000 and CHL numbers increasing for +-500 (just my opinion) compare to last year, I wish there is a chance to keep it.

All the czech clubs definetely benefit from this matches. If you create Super league composed just of each league champion, it would be gold for fans, not that match for the development of euro hockey. Having 6 out of 14 teams from CZ league in CHL is definetely better than one...

Same could be said in Finland. Based on comments at the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, many people forgot that the playoffs began today due to little promotion. On the other hand I hear HIFK's match had good attendance and one of the best atmospheres in ages, helped in large by the supporter group Stadin Kingit returning to the stands after focusing more on the HIFK football team recently.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Same could be said in Finland. Based on comments at the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, meny peopel forgot that the playoffs began today due to little promotion. On the other hand I hear HIFK's match had good attendance and one of the best atmospheres in ages, helped in large by the supporter group Stadin Kingit returning to the stands after focusing more on the HIFK football team recently.

HIFK had a promotion going, their football season ticket holders got in for free yesterday and today it was the other way around for their football match. Cool promotion idea and a way to fill the stands, doesn't really help financially though.

 

[scud9]

As an American Hockey fan...

Team sports in Europe are different when comparing to the States. Importance of domestic leagues and rivalries existing means everything to fans. Most of the fans come from the same region than the team comes from. Like myself, my devotion to my home town is mirrored in my devotion to my team, Kärpät. Even in the biggest team sport football can't form a Pan European League. One reason is the fans and other is UEFA which is against it.

Europe isn't a nation, it is collection of over 30 countries and within them there is different regions which have different culture. I think one of the only thing that different European regions have in common is hatred against the capital cities in each country. "They arrogant ******** who are ripping us off!"

 

[Theokritos]

Team sports in Europe are different when comparing to the States. Importance of domestic leagues and rivalries existing means everything to fans. Most of the fans come from the same region than the team comes from. Like myself, my devotion to my home town is mirrored in my devotion to my team, Kärpät. Even in the biggest team sport football can't form a Pan European League. One reason is the fans and other is UEFA which is against it.

European competition works perfectly fine though in football.

 

[QnebO]

Same could be said in Finland. Based on comments at the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, meny peopel forgot that the playoffs began today due to little promotion. On the other hand I hear HIFK's match had good attendance and one of the best atmospheres in ages, helped in large by the supporter group Stadin Kingit returning to the stands after focusing more on the HIFK football team recently.

The problem is no one cares. It's just way too early stage, it feels just as good as any pre season tournament. The real solution is that the team should stop playing their own leagues and only play european league, then it would be interesting.

KHL is the only way forward in european hockey. Europeans will never get into any legit agreement with it. They always try to make some sort of european tournament but they always compromise in absolutely everything.

 

[Maverick41]

European competition works perfectly fine though in football.

For most people yes. For me it is the reason why I care so much less about football these days and more about hockey.
Because of the restructuring of the European competition with Champions League and later Europa League, a small number of clubs have set themselves so far apart from all the others that there really isn't that much competition anymore.
I remember a time when teams from more than a dozen countries where capable of winning any of the three European competitions. These days you know the winner will be from Spain, maybe from England or italy or it will be Bayern and there could be an outside chance that PSG or Porto get close.
A lot of people love today's format with all the best players playing for the same clubs, but I hate it and for me it has ruined football as a whole.

But that's enough for my off topic rant:
As far as the CHL is concerned my biggest problem is that is not established yet, and if they stick with it that will happen over time. I think over time people will get more familiar with the teams from different countries, and the best teams will earn a reputation beyond their domestic leagues hand start to draw bigger crowds.
Although it might be better if they could find a way to work the games into the season schedule instead of playing the group stage as apre-season tournament.
Or they should just call it a qualifying round for the real competition which starts with the knockout stage.

 

[Jussi]

The problem is no one cares. It's just way too early stage, it feels just as good as any pre season tournament. The real solution is that the team should stop playing their own leagues and only play european league, then it would be interesting.

KHL is the only way forward in european hockey. Europeans will never get into any legit agreement with it. They always try to make some sort of european tournament but they always compromise in absolutely everything.

Nope on both accounts. There simple isn't money nor the interest to have an all-European league. We've already seen how much Jokerit depend on Russian funding and they sure as hell aren't interested in paying for everyone's expenses. Besides, they care more about Russian hockey than European. Best format is a club competition but it needs to be played more during the season than in pre-season. The big problem is the congested domestic schedules with regular seasons lasting too long (I'm looking at you, Liiga and KHL). Swedes and Swiss have right length that would facilitate putting in game in the middle of the regular season.

 

[Jonimaus]

The problem is no one cares. It's just way too early stage, it feels just as good as any pre season tournament. The real solution is that the team should stop playing their own leagues and only play european league, then it would be interesting.

KHL is the only way forward in european hockey. Europeans will never get into any legit agreement with it. They always try to make some sort of european tournament but they always compromise in absolutely everything.

What in the world. KHL will never be the future of european hockey. They'd have to replace like 70% of the russian teams for that to happen, and it won't.

 

[Kshahdoo]

What in the world. KHL will never be the future of european hockey. They'd have to replace like 70% of the russian teams for that to happen, and it won't.

It could be another pan-European league though. But yeah, it won't happen because of political reasons.

Good example is Scottish football and Celtic/Rangers. Once those clubs were great and two of the best in Europe. Now they've become 2nd or even 3rd rate teams (Rangers even got relegated on account of financial problems). Both clubs have a lot of fans, but they need to play in a better league (EPL obviously) badly. But it won't happen, because politics is way more important than some sport teams.

 

[Jussi]

It could be another pan-European league though. But yeah, it won't happen because of political reasons.

Good example is Scottish football and Celtic/Rangers. Once those clubs were great and two of the best in Europe. Now they've become 2nd or even 3rd rate teams (Rangers even got relegated on account of financial problems). Both clubs have a lot of fans, but they need to play in a better league (EPL obviously) badly. But it won't happen, because politics is way more important than some sport teams.

FA or other clubs didn't want them in the British league system, IIRC. They had the political backing though: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/prime-minister-david-cameron-backs-1794754

 

[tobu]

Skeleftea - Kosice , hardly 500 spectators judging from the TV.

edit: Official report says 2209, can hardly believe it.

 

[FlutteringSaucer]

Correct me if I'm wrong but season tickets don't include CHL games? These should've been included at least for the first couple of years. Season tickets cover huge amount of average attendance for many Euro teams.

Also lol @ financial suicide league like KHL being a long-term solution to anything.

 

[SCBdude]

Correct me if I'm wrong but season tickets don't include CHL games? These should've been included at least for the first couple of years. Season tickets cover huge amount of average attendance for many Euro teams.

Also lol @ financial suicide league like KHL being a long-term solution to anything.

In Bern CHL was included in season tickets but I don't know about any other teams.

 

[Jussi]

Damn Tappara for only getting a one goal win.

Kärpät won 3-0 and Puljujärvi vs Matthews is now up to Zürich...

Dan Spina scored a hat trick for TPS as they knocked out JYP.

 

[Jablkon]

It could be another pan-European league though. But yeah, it won't happen because of political reasons.

Good example is Scottish football and Celtic/Rangers. Once those clubs were great and two of the best in Europe. Now they've become 2nd or even 3rd rate teams (Rangers even got relegated on account of financial problems). Both clubs have a lot of fans, but they need to play in a better league (EPL obviously) badly. But it won't happen, because politics is way more important than some sport teams.

Celitc and Rangers might not make it even to cups in Premiere league, so as wales team don't. When Russia or Ukraine are able to make competitive leagues, Scottland should ba able to get at least to the Belgium level. Btw Celtic did pretty fine in Champions league in last decade. Just a bad period of time now imo.....

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Last years finalist Frölunda about to get eliminated by Inglostadt (!)

 

[SurMartin]

Skeleftea - Kosice , hardly 500 spectators judging from the TV.

edit: Official report says 2209, can hardly believe it.

Probably around 1500. Sorry, we just don't care about CHL here. Some fans even want us to lose these on purpose...

 

[joe89]

Holy smoke what a goal by Lasch.