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2016-17 Champions Hockey League

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Jussi said:
Because some leagues have a regular season that is too long/congested (looking at you, Liiga), there is little room in the schedules to place the games.
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Well, I think that if the CHL wants to have a future, they have to change some things. They already will undergo a lot of changes in the 17-18 season, which I think it's a very good move, and I think they will eventually slide the games in other later moments.
 
Lataba76 said:
Bad results from NLA in CHL. Davos was the only exeption. The SHL is much stronger than NLA.
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I don't say that NLA is superior to SEL ... actually i believe in the opposite. But about the CHL, Swiss teams have taken it lightly ... .

Although they said they would take it seriously, they started training 2 weeks before the CHL games, you can't say that they took it seriously. That is the situation. Not to mention that in some instances, they even didn't send their top players.

They actually make money with the NLA .. therefore they make a priority out of that. Logical !

We understand their problem ... yet for the fans, it is frustrating to see your team loose. As a result they promise to do better (to please the fans) ... but the promise is not followed by facts !
 
While I and many would love to see the KHL apart of the CHL I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Maybe the CHL could invite VHL teams instead? Atleast to have some Russians competing and the VHL is no weak league.

I'd even settle for a CHL winner v KHL/Russian Winner type game, that would be interesting.

However the KHL is big league with big money, and they probably view the CHL as a glorified pre season tournanment (just like the Swiss/finns/swedes do) at the moment. The CHL is on the right track though with the new 17/18 set up. That will be fun and obviously we'd all like more prize money but we need to build slowly. Plus even €1.5m is a lot of money for 99% of Euro teams!

In the UK EIHL it is very exciting for our teams. We like to see how we compare as we are usually said to be one of the weakest Euro leagues. Nottingham and Sheffield especially are very much into the idea of the CHL.
 
Rigafan said:
While I and many would love to see the KHL apart of the CHL I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Maybe the CHL could invite VHL teams instead? Atleast to have some Russians competing and the VHL is no weak league.

I'd even settle for a CHL winner v KHL/Russian Winner type game, that would be interesting.

However the KHL is big league with big money, and they probably view the CHL as a glorified pre season tournanment (just like the Swiss/finns/swedes do) at the moment. The CHL is on the right track though with the new 17/18 set up. That will be fun and obviously we'd all like more prize money but we need to build slowly. Plus even €1.5m is a lot of money for 99% of Euro teams!

In the UK EIHL it is very exciting for our teams. We like to see how we compare as we are usually said to be one of the weakest Euro leagues. Nottingham and Sheffield especially are very much into the idea of the CHL.
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I just don't(sadly)picture the KHL wanting to be apart of this. I've kinda given up on that pipe dream
 
torero said:
I don't say that NLA is superior to SEL ... actually i believe in the opposite. But about the CHL, Swiss teams have taken it lightly ... .

Although they said they would take it seriously, they started training 2 weeks before the CHL games, you can't say that they took it seriously. That is the situation. Not to mention that in some instances, they even didn't send their top players.

They actually make money with the NLA .. therefore they make a priority out of that. Logical !

We understand their problem ... yet for the fans, it is frustrating to see your team loose. As a result they promise to do better (to please the fans) ... but the promise is not followed by facts !
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How can they start training 14 days before CHL when Sparta is right now at tournament in Switzerland?? And we are now +- 14 days before CHL start... They must already underwent complete off ice summer preparation unless NLA teams make some magics and start summer camps with invitational tourneys. Even if they havent played any match so far, it means that Sparta is just two matches ahead of them as we played against Slovan and Ingolstadt already.

I also watched last year Sparta matches against Geneve an Zurich. Both swiss teams looked in full strenght, and even If I admit that Sparta mighht want to win more (who knows), they definetely didnt look they take took it easy. I also watched Davos Liberec game and it looked same.

All things consider, If I accept your argument that they take dont take it seriously, only reason I found is that they realize its not easy to win it and tey are not capable to battle on two fronts so they gave up. Still this does not seem to be valid for matches I watched. Why would you loose to czech team when you can have have confrontation against Swe/Fin farther in tourney?
 
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He probably refered to previous years. And hopefully, for the Swiss teams, he means on ice practise.

The worst preperations I have seen from a team so far would be Bolzano two years ago. Two days before the tournament the team consisted of something along the line of 1 goalie and 10 skaters.
 
Cracovia Kraków.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyDRJTPao-o

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Tauron Arena Kraków.
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stars33 said:
Does anybody know if this tournament is starting to get a little more buzz from Euro hockey fans?
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I am not sure about fans because it depends on too many factors. Mostly whether other teams would be able to compete with fin/swe teams and if teams from "non hockey" countries are competitive enough to make fans from hockey countries to come to stadiums and watch them.

Still I think CHL is doing pretty good job and attendance is not that bad. But most important thing right now is that european clubs look they really want it which is the biggest progress compare to situation in the past.

CHL definetely made preseason interesting and attract fans to stadiums. And I am sure it also opened eyes to a lot of leagues to show them where they really are....

What I see right now from czech perspective is just boom of international preseason matches. CZ is quite popular destination for KHL clubs preseason camps so one czech club organize tourney of 4 teams including 2 from czech extraliga and Omsk and Ufa from KHL. Another one invited Linkoping from SHL and Slovan from KHL to their tourney. These tourneys are able to attract 4-5000 people per match which pretty good for european/ czech standards. Some other czech clubs are on similar tourneys abroad right now. So it looks that CHL has another competitor in that tourneys. But all in all clubs look eager to int. competition which is definetely right direction imo.
 
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stars33 said:
Does anybody know if this tournament is starting to get a little more buzz from Euro hockey fans?
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This is what the hockey news section of Swedish Television looks like:
www.svt.se/sport/ishockey/

They are airing the games as usual but no articles so far. The ongoing Olympics and Zlatan scoring in his debut for Manchester U are taking up most of the sport section. As for hockey, the World Cup is getting some mention.
 
stars33 said:
Does anybody know if this tournament is starting to get a little more buzz from Euro hockey fans?
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Sadly no. I don't think anybody in Finland other than hardcore fans know that the first games will be played tomorrow. Marketing has been non existent and there really isn't any news about it in the mainstream media.
 
JJTT said:
Sadly no. I don't think anybody in Finland other than hardcore fans know that the first games will be played tomorrow. Marketing has been non existent and there really isn't any news about it in the mainstream media.
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There's a whole lot of circumstances working against this tourney right now. Olympics, soccer and summer being the main ones.
 
Slimmy said:
Just curious, since you don't seem to have a stake in this. What games will you be watching/ are you most interested in?

EDIT: No, wait. That's Helsinki IFK on your avatar? Never mind then haha
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Yea for European clubs I follow(I'm an American), only HIFK is in it this year. But idk, this tournament both the older version and this current one have been a soft spot of mine. So I try and catch as many games as I can or at the very least scoreboard watch.
 
Jablkon said:
How can they start training 14 days before CHL when Sparta is right now at tournament in Switzerland?? And we are now +- 14 days before CHL start... They must already underwent complete off ice summer preparation unless NLA teams make some magics and start summer camps with invitational tourneys. Even if they havent played any match so far, it means that Sparta is just two matches ahead of them as we played against Slovan and Ingolstadt already.

I also watched last year Sparta matches against Geneve an Zurich. Both swiss teams looked in full strenght, and even If I admit that Sparta mighht want to win more (who knows), they definetely didnt look they take took it easy. I also watched Davos Liberec game and it looked same.

All things consider, If I accept your argument that they take dont take it seriously, only reason I found is that they realize its not easy to win it and tey are not capable to battle on two fronts so they gave up. Still this does not seem to be valid for matches I watched. Why would you loose to czech team when you can have have confrontation against Swe/Fin farther in tourney?
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They are not playing without wanting to win. But without enough time to get the leggs back and start the season ... your probably will be below your real potential.
SCB started officialy their first training day on the 9.8.2016 and tomorow they will meet HC Kosice ! (SCB is my team ... they already make me sick)
Zurich, a bit more serious started on the 1.8.16. same for Fribourg and Zug (their is improvement ... it seems on this side)

Geneva started on 6.8 but are not relevant in today's discussion because they won't play in the CHL. They went on the 8.8 to the "hockeyades" and lost 0-4 to Munich !! and 1-3 to sparta on the 11th. what a surprise !!
What is sure is that they do not make money on that occasion. They make money in the league !! So Geneva, who's head coach is also part owner ... is probably pragmatic and decided to pull out of the CHL.

Maybe it is like the other European teams after all, but i think it is light to see them starting to train and meet other good European team 1 week after like for the SC Bern. ... Again apparently zuich , Zug and Fribourg improved.

I looked around in the other european teams sites, and it appears that most CHL teams start training on end july/begining August. So the Swiss teams who play in CHL seem to have adjusted to it ... (except my team:rant:) ... therefore the moment of truth is going to be exposed.
 
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Im Canadian but very interested in the tourney, last year I rooted for teams with sharks prospects like Genève-Servette or Stavanger. We only have one prospect in all of Europe this year and his team didn't make it so who knows.
 
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I just hope the empty Swedish games are kept to a minimum this year. Clubs like Djurgarden had some INCREDIBLY empty group stage games in the past. But in the end, for me it's just fun to finally start the "hockey calendar"again. Outside of a few prospect tournies, this is the first bigger thing hockey wise I get excited for.
 
torero said:
They are not playing without wanting to win. But without enough time to get the leggs back and start the season ... your probably will be below your real potential.
SCB started officialy their first training day on the 9.8.2016 and tomorow they will meet HC Kosice ! (SCB is my team ... they already make me sick)
Zurich, a bit more serious started on the 1.8.16. same for Fribourg and Zug (their is improvement ... it seems on this side)

Geneva started on 6.8 but are not relevant in today's discussion because they won't play in the CHL. They went on the 8.8 to the "hockeyades" and lost 0-4 to Munich !! and 1-3 to sparta on the 11th. what a surprise !!
What is sure is that they do not make money on that occasion. They make money in the league !! So Geneva, who's head coach is also part owner ... is probably pragmatic and decided to pull out of the CHL.

Maybe it is like the other European teams after all, but i think it is light to see them starting to train and meet other good European team 1 week after like for the SC Bern. ... Again apparently zuich , Zug and Fribourg improved.

I looked around in the other european teams sites, and it appears that most CHL teams start training on end july/begining August. So the Swiss teams who play in CHL seem to have adjusted to it ... (except my team:rant:) ... therefore the moment of truth is going to be exposed.
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Interesting. When does NLA start? Sparta played first match on 3rd August and league starts on 9th September. Even non CHL teams are playing preseason matches right now.

Berns attitude is obviously wrong and in fact its damaging CHL itself because "price money" are same for all teams, i.e. almost nothing.

Speaking about czech teams, good thing is that only team appeared to have similar attitude was Zlin in first season. Since then all the teams are trying at leats not be embarassed there. Some of them like Litvinov, Pardubice, Vitkovice were significantly weak even in czech league. Others like Sparta, Liberec, Trinec are striving to go farther but I really doubt they adjust their teams to win it. At best they say they want to succeed without clarifying what it means...
 
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