season review 2014-15
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
table of contents
1. CEO Message 2. SPORT 3. BRAND 4. EUROPEAN TROPHY 5. MARKETING 6. BROADCASTING 7. DIGITAL MEDIA 8. REFEREE / DISCIPLINARY 9. Prize Money Distribution 10. TRIVIA 11. A WORD FROM THE WINNER
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
CEO MESSAGE
Martin Baumann CEO Champions Hockey League AG
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
CEO MESSAGE After an absence of five years, European club hockey once again established a top pan-European championship. The old Champions Hockey League operated in 2008-09 and the new CHL edition one was born out of the European Trophy tournament which was organized for four years, 2010-13. This is a European tradition in all major team sports; you compete on your national level on a day-to-day basis and the clubs best fit for international competition play against the best from other countries and leagues to determine the club champion of the old continent. European club competition – whether it is football, basketball, handball or volleyball – is a proven success formula for a half century, as it elevates the quality of the game and at the same time enhances domestic competition and stimulates national league play. There is never a conflict between these two. To the contrary, they exist in perfect symbiosis. And this is the goal of the Champions Hockey League, to grow club hockey in Europe, have international hockey stimulate domestic hockey and vice-versa and, in the process, raise the quality of our game. We chose “Where Europe Comes to Play” as our motto and we are committed to live up to this. The Champions Hockey League had 44 teams in its first season, from 11 leagues and 12 countries. In one season, we established the CHL as the international forum where the best teams in Europe test their skill against each other and where they exchange experience and knowledge. This interaction has already improved hockey in Europe and given clubs and leagues some necessary insight. As the CEO of the Champions Hockey League, I cannot by happier with our first season. We delivered the 161 games without any hiccups worth mentioning and we did it by maintaining high sportive quality on ice, the sportive integrity was safeguarded by the best on-ice officials’ crew available and by a flawless disciplinary program. All this was beautifully presented, with a professional look & feel, both to the TV audience and to fans in the arenas. Everything which started on 21 August 2014 with 44 teams, culminated on 3 February 2015 roughly 100 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle when Luleå staged an epic comeback to defeat Frölunda Gothenburg 4-2 after being 2-0 down seven minutes into the third period. This game is a classic already and the mythology around it will continue to grow. And the Champions Hockey League will grow too. Although we will have four more teams next season, there is no priority on numerical growth. The focus is and will be on quality of the competition. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all stakeholders who contributed to the success, first and foremost to the clubs, their management, coaches and players. Also a big thank you to the IIHF and CHL staff and to the staff of our marketing partner Infront Sports & Media AG. Martin Baumann CEO
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
The Clubs
Skellefteå AIK
Luleå Hockey
Giants of the Swedish SHL made it to the Final-Four of the CHL but could not get past local rivals Luleå. Five consecutive Swedish finals.
Masters of unlikely comebacks were eventually rewarded with title “Best Club in Europe”
Färjestad Karlstad
Växjö Lakers
Bastion of stability in Swedish hockey since early 1970s; 19 Swedish finals, 9 titles.
New kids on the block, promoted to SHL in 2011, won their first national title in 2015.
Linköping HC
Frölunda Gothenburg
Consistent championship contender, so you forget they are a top league club only since 1999.
They were the best team – until seven minutes into the last period of the CHL season.
HV71 Jönköping
Djurgården Stockholm
When clubs Huskvarna and Vätterstad merged in 1971, the result became this excellent club.
Established 1891, 16 Swedish titles, 2 European titles. Noble aristocrat in the hockey family.
Kärpät Oulu
Tappara Tampere
In the last decade, no Finnish club does it better, at home or internationally. Champion this season – again.
From the cradle of Finnish hockey, 15-time national champion. Lost quarter-final to Frölunda Gothenburg, but made it to the Finnish final for the third straight year.
Lukko Rauma
SaiPa Lappeeneranta
One of the biggest overachievers in European hockey, like a bumble-bee – shouldn’t be flying, but it does and does it very well.
The “Sputnik” team, pride of eastern Finland, still waiting for its first national title, but made it to the CHL quarter-final.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
The Clubs
JYP Jyväskylä
IFK Helsinki
Finnish champion 2009, 2012, European Trophy winner 2014. Very solid competitor.
Founded in 1897, seven national titles. More than a club, a Helsinki institution.
TPS Turku
KalPa Kuopio
Few clubs know player development as well as TPS. Not bad at collecting titles either; 11. Twice champs of Europe, 1994, 1997.
Finnish hockey icons Kimmo Timonen, Olli Jokinen and Sami Kapanen come from here, with the latter being chairman and major shareholder.
Adler Mannheim
Eisbären Berlin
With seven championships, a beautiful rink and average attendance of over 11.000 this is one of DEL’s major clubs. Gold again in 2015.
Formerly known as Dynamo Berlin during the GDR times, Eisbären have dominated the modern era with seven titles 2005 – 2013.
ERC Ingolstadt
Krefeld Pinguine
After a half century of existence this club from Bayern won its first ever national title in 2014 and followed up with advancing to the final in 2015.
Clubs with roots from 1936 have German championships 51 years apart, 1952 and 2003.
Kölner Haie
Hamburg Freezers
Founded in 1972, the “Sharks” collected eight titles 1977 – 2002. Only the Cologne Dome is more attended than clubs’ home games.
The franchise was moved from München to Hamburg in 2002 and since then the Freezers consistently attract great crowd at the 13.000 O2 World Arena.
Red Bull Salzburg
Vienna Capitals
Led 8-3 on aggregate against eventual CHL champion Luleå, but lost 1/8-final in a heartbreaker. Fifth EBEL-championship was the consolation.
Nobody would have thought that the Austrians would finish ahead of Färjestad and Zurich by five points – but they did.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
The Clubs
HC Bolzano
Villach SV
History was made in 2014 when the Italians became the first non-Austrian club to win the EBEL-title.
Forever VSV to their fans to whom beating regional rival Klagenfurt is the best of treats. Six national championships.
Sparta Prague
Vitkovice Ostrava
Two seconds separated Sparta from a 1/8-final shootout vs. Linköping but a late equalizer eliminated the famous Czech club.
Club history goes back to 1928 and the highlights are still the two national championships 1952 and 1981.
PSG Zlin
Ocelari Trinec
From the city formerly called Gottwaldov, the club has changed names eight (!) times. As Zlin, they are Czech champions 2004 and 2014.
The steel town of Trinec celebrated its first and so far lone championship in 2011, since last year the home is the beautiful, brand new Werk Arena.
HC Pardubice
Bili Tygri Liberec
Year after year, Pardubice has the best attendance figures in the Czech league. Just like Zlin, the club has changed names many times.
The “White Tigers” of Liberec are still waiting for their first title, but they are proud over having fans in both Germany and Poland.
ZSC Lions Zurich
Fribourg-Gottéron
Wrote hockey history in 2009 by defeating Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5-0 in CHL final and Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 in Victoria Cup.
The “Dragons” are still looking for their first national title, but made it to the CHL playoffs by winning their group.
Kloten Flyers
Genève-Servette
Five-time Swiss champ, with the incredible run 1993-1996 which gave four consecutive titles. Developing talent has been Kloten’s trademark.
Also called “HC McSorley” after the charismatic coach Chris who has been with the club since 2001. G-S was founded in 1905, predating Swiss hockey.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
The Clubs
SC Bern
EV Zug
They have what all clubs in Europe can only dream of – an average attendance of more than 16.000. You can add 13 national titles to that.
Playing out of what probably is the nicest rink in Switzerland, this club has one title (1998) and beating New York Rangers 8-4 in 2011 was not bad either.
Stavanger Oilers
Vålerenga Oslo
They beat power house SC Bern both at home and away, but missed CHL playoffs by narrow margin. A well-oiled Norwegian machine. They won all at home, league and playoffs.
VIF is arguably Norway’s most famous sports club. Founded in 1913, the Oslo club has 26 championships.
HC Kosice
Briançon Diables Rouge
Two titles in Czechoslovakia and eight in Slovakia, this club dominates heavily after that rivals Slovan Bratislava left for KHL.
Although playing in Europe was a challenge, 2014 will go down in history as the year when the “Red Devils” won their first title.
SönderjyskE Vojens
Nottingham Panthers
You can hardly find Vojens on the map, but small is great. Six titles since 2005, but beating Krefeld in CHL felt almost like half a championship.
Founded in 1946, the club with the most impressive fan base in Britain. And they had a field day when Panthers defeated Hamburg Freezers in the CHL.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
highlights GROUP STAGE The Champions Hockey League Group Stage produced eleven group winners and five runner-ups and these 16 teams made it to 1/8-finals. And there were some surprises and near-surprises. The two Austrian teams, Vienna Capitals and Red Bull Salzburg, not only won their respective groups, but they did it in convincing fashion against some of the best names in European club hockey, proving in the process that Austrian hockey and the EBEL league are on the rise. Both Vienna and Salzburg collected 15 points each and among teams which saw themselves defeated by the Austrians were established brands like Färjestad and HV71 from Sweden, Zurich Lions and Kloten Flyers from Switzerland and JYP Jyväskylä from Finland. It is worth mentioning that the Austrians’ 15 points was equalled only by Frölunda Gothenburg, Skellefteå AIK and Luleå (all SWE) and Finland’s Lukko Rauma.
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Still, maybe the biggest Group Stage surprise was the Norwegian champion Stavanger Oilers that entered the Champions Hockey League in the capacity of Continental Cup winner. Stavanger collected the same number of points (11) as the group winner Tappara Tampere, but the Norwegians missed the playoffs by the smallest of margins, losing on the head-to-head rule against the Finns. But the performance of Stavanger, combined with their excellent attendance and wonderful atmosphere at their home games, showed once again what progress Norwegian hockey has made during the last decade. Most notable: the Oilers defeated Swiss powerhouse SC Bern both home and away. Wild Card teams Nottingham Panthers (GBR) and SönderjyskE Vojens (DEN) competed strongly and both teams recorded
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
highlights GROUP STAGE group wins which gave an echo in European hockey; Nottingham scored an upset victory against Hamburg Freezers while the Danes defeated Krefeld Pinguine.
ready mentioned, the others who were among the top-16 came from Switzerland (Genève-Servette and Fribourg-Gottéron) and the Czech Republic (Sparta Prague).
All in all, the Group Stage was a Nordic success, with seven Finnish and four Swedish clubs qualifying for the playoffs. With the two Austrian playoff–bound clubs al-
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
highlights PLAYOFFS The Champion Hockey League playoffs produced many memorable moments – but one 1/8-final matchup was an epic, which surely must be the most amazing come-from-behind win ever staged in European top club hockey. Surprise group winner Red Bull Salzburg scored another upset when the Austrians defeated Luleå Hockey in Sweden, 4-2. In the return game, Salzburg led 3-0 and 4-1 (8-3 on aggregate!) before the Scandinavians scored six (!) unanswered goals to take a 7-4 lead, before Salzburg’s Thomas Raffl scored a late goal to at least force a penalty-shootout decider. In this one, the northerners’ cooler heads prevailed and Luleå advanced to the quarter-final by putting two penalty shots past the Red Bull keeper while the Austrians were stunned by Luleå’s hero, goalie Joel Lassinantti, who was substituted into game when Salzburg seemed to run away with the score. After this thriller for the ages, Luleå advanced to the final by defeating Lukko Rauma (FIN) in the quarters and by edging regional rivals Skellefteå AIK in the semis. Red Bull Salzburg must still be wondering “what if…”
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The playoff margins were on the side of the Swedish teams. Czech Sparta Prague seemed to have a shootout decider at their hands away at Linköping with the aggregate score tied at 3-3, when Canadian Jacob Micflikier scored with two seconds left to tie the game 2-2 and to give the Swedes a 4-3 win over two games. If the Group Stage showed Nordic domination, it became even more evident in the quarter-finals where Sweden and Finland had four teams each, with Kärpät Oulu becoming the only Finnish entry in the “Final-Four”. The semi-final matchup between Kärpät and Frölunda Gothenburg produced what maybe was the best hockey in this first edition of the CHL. After Frölunda’s 4-2 home victory in the first leg, Kärpät stormed back at home for a 3-1 win setting the stage for overtime. Badly outshot and outplayed, Frölunda advanced to the final on a power-play goal by defensemen Erik Gustafsson at 5:06 of OT. This set up an all-Swedish final where Luleå due to a better accumulated group stage and playoff record earned home-ice advantage in the one-game decider.
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
highlights FINAL At the end, the Luleå players, management and the entire city were celebrating a historic win, Frölunda’s team was standing on the blue line in the COOP Norrbotten Arena and wondering how they could let this one slip away. Although history is usually written by the winners, the game sheet from the final game of the new edition of the Champions Hockey League on 3 February 2015, shows that Frölunda had a 2-0 lead midway through the first period. But what the stats don’t show was that the guests from Gothenburg also were fully in control during the second period where only spectacular saves from Luleå keeper Joel Lassinantti prevented the visitors from making it 3-0. But the enthusiastic capacity crowd (6.300) in Luleå never gave up on their heroes and they were rewarded in the third period when the home team scored three power-play goals within six minutes for a
3-2 lead. And once again, Luleå had come back from being seemingly down and out. In the 1/8-final they were trailing 8-3 on aggregate against Red Bull Salzburg and now this. Frölunda pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with two minutes left to get the equalizer, but instead Luleå clinched the CHL title with en empty-net goal from the young Swiss defender Dean Kukan. Pandemonium! CHL Chairman Anders Ternbom and CHL CEO Martin Baumann presented Luleå captain Chris Abbott with the CHL’s European Trophy, while Abbott’s No. 29 jersey, along with the six goal pucks, were collected for the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Frölunda’s Norwegian forward Mathis Olimb was named Most Valuable Player having scored 28 points (8 goals and 18 assists) in the CHL’s inaugural season.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Group Stage Results
GROUP A Kölner Haie
vs. HC Kosice
2:1
Bílí Tygři Liberec
vs. Kärpät Oulu
3:4
HC Kosice
vs. Kärpät Oulu
1:2
Kölner Haie
vs. Bílí Tygři Liberec
1:4
Bílí Tygři Liberec
vs. HC Kosice
3:2
Kärpät Oulu
vs. Kölner Haie
3:2 PS
HC Kosice
vs. Bílí Tygři Liberec
4:3
Kölner Haie
vs. Kärpät Oulu
3:2
Bílí Tygři Liberec
vs. Kölner Haie
2:1
Kärpät Oulu
vs. HC Kosice
3:2 OT
HC Kosice
vs. Kölner Haie
4:3
Kärpät Oulu
vs. Bílí Tygřii Liberec
3:1
Kärpät Oulu
13
Bílí Tygři Liberec
9
HC Kosice
7
Kölner Haie
7
Vienna Capitals
15
Färjestad Karlstad
10
ZSC Lions Zurich
10
GROUP B Vienna Capitals
vs. Färjestad Karlstad
4:1
ZSC Lions Zurich
vs. Vålerenga Oslo
4:1
Vienna Capitals
vs. Vålerenga Oslo
2:1
ZSC Lions Zurich
vs. Färjestad Karlstad
2:3 OT
Vålerenga Oslo
vs. Vienna Capitals
1:2
Färjestad Karlstad
vs. ZSC Lions Zurich
4:3 OT
Vålerenga Oslo
vs. ZSC Lions Zurich
2:3
Färjestad Karlstad
vs. Vienna Capitals
1:2 PS
ZSC Lions Zurich
vs. Vienna Capitals
2:1 OT
Färjestad Karlstad
vs. Vålerenga Oslo
4:1
Vienna Capitals
vs. ZSC Lions Zurich
5:3
Vålerenga Oslo
vs. Färjestad Karlstad
1:2 PS
Vålerenga Oslo
1
Frölunda Gothenburg
15
Genève-Servette
15
Villach SV
6
Briançon Diables Rouges
0
GROUP C Genève-Servette
vs. Frölunda Gothenburg
Briançon Diables Rouges
vs. Villach SV
4:3 1:2
Genève-Servette
vs. Villach SV
4:2
Briançon Diables Rouges
vs. Frölunda Gothenburg
1:7
Villach SV
vs. Briançon Diables Rouges
4:1
Frölunda Gothenburg
vs. Genève-Servette
7:3
Briançon Diables Rouges
vs. Genève-Servette
2:7
Frölunda Gothenburg
vs. Villach SV
5:2
Villach SV
vs. Genève-Servette
0:5
Frölunda Gothenburg
vs.
Briançon Diables Rouges
Villach SV
vs.
Frölunda Gothenburg
1:7
Genève-Servette
vs.
Briançon Diables Rouges
5:1
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Group Stage Results
GROUP D Djurgården Stockholm
vs. Fribourg-Gottéron
5:4 OT
Eisbären Berlin
vs. PSG Zlin
3:4 PS
Fribourg-Gottéron
vs. Eisbären Berlin
6:3
PSG Zlin
vs. Djurgården Stockholm
3:1
PSG Zlin
vs. Fribourg-Gottéron
2:3 OT
Djurgården Stockholm
vs. Eisbären Berlin
3:2
Fribourg-Gottéron
vs. PSG Zlin
3:2 PS
Eisbären Berlin
vs. Djurgården Stockholm
4:3 PS
Eisbären Berlin
vs. Fribourg-Gottéron
0:2
Djurgården Stockholm
vs. PSG Zlin
8:0
PSG Zlin
vs. Eisbären Berlin
4:2
Fribourg-Gottéron
vs. Djurgården Stockholm
3:1
Fribourg-Gottéron
14
PSG Zlin
10
Djurgården Stockholm
9
Eisbären Berlin
3
Tappara Tampere
11
Stavanger Oilers
11
Ocelari Trinec
9
SC Bern
5
Linköping HC
14
TPS Turku
12
HC Bolzano
9
HC Pardubice
1
GROUP E Ocelari Trinec
vs. SC Bern
Tappara Tampere
vs. Stavanger Oilers
7:0 7:3
Tappara Tampere
vs. SC Bern
3:5
Ocelari Trinec
vs. Stavanger Oilers
4:5
SC Bern
vs. Ocelari Trinec
0:4
Stavanger Oilers
vs. Tappara Tampere
2:1 PS
SC Bern
vs. Tappara Tampere
4:3 PS
Stavanger Oilers
vs. Ocelari Trinec
2:3
Ocelari Trinec
vs. Tappara Tampere
1:2
SC Bern
vs. Stavanger Oilers
0:2
Tappara Tampere
vs. Ocelari Trinec
5:1
Stavanger Oilers
vs. SC Bern
5:2
TPS Turku
vs. HC Bolzano
9:0
Linköping HC
vs. HC Pardubice
2:1
Linköping HC
vs. HC Bolzano
5:0
TPS Turku
vs. HC Pardubice
2:1
HC Pardubice
vs. Linköping HC
3:6
HC Bolzano
vs. TPS Turku
4:2
HC Pardubice
vs. TPS Turku
2:3 PS
HC Bolzano
vs. Linköping HC
1:2
HC Pardubice
vs. HC Bolzano
1:3
TPS Turku
vs. Linköping HC
3:4 PS
HC Bolzano
vs. HC Pardubice
4:3
Linköping HC
vs. TPS Turku
1:2
GROUP F
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Group Stage Results
GROUP G KalPa Kuopio
vs. Sparta Prague
Växjö Lakers
vs. Adler Mannheim
4:5 PS 6:1
Växjö Lakers
vs. Sparta Prague
2:5
KalPa Kuopio
vs. Adler Mannheim
1:0
Adler Mannheim
vs. KalPa Kuopio
3:1
Sparta Prague
vs. Växjö Lakers
5:4
Adler Mannheim
vs. Växjö Lakers
1:2
Sparta Prague
vs. KalPa Kuopio
2:3
Adler Mannheim
vs. Sparta Prague
3:2 OT
Växjö Lakers
vs. KalPa Kuopio
2:1
KalPa Kuopio
vs. Växjö Lakers
1:3
Sparta Prague
vs. Adler Mannheim
6:3
Vitkovice Ostrava
vs. ERC Ingolstadt
5:1
EV Zug
vs. SaiPa Lappeenranta
1:2
Vitkovice Ostrava
vs. EV Zug
2:5
ERC Ingolstadt
vs. SaiPa Lappeenranta
4:1
SaiPa Lappeenranta
vs. Vitkovice Ostrava
4:3 PS
EV Zug
vs. ERC Ingolstadt
3:2
SaiPa Lappeenranta
vs. ERC Ingolstadt
5:2
EV Zug
vs. Vitkovice Ostrava
3:2
SaiPa Lappeenranta
vs. EV Zug
3:0
ERC Ingolstadt
vs. Vitkovice Ostrava
4:5 PS
Vitkovice Ostrava
vs. SaiPa Lappeenranta
1:3
ERC Ingolstadt
vs. EV Zug
3:2 OT
JYP Jyväskylä
vs. Red Bull Salzburg
3:2
HV71 Jönköping
vs. Kloten Flyers
3:2
HV71 Jönköping
vs. Red Bull Salzburg
3:5
JYP Jyväskylä
vs. Kloten Flyers
2:0
Red Bull Salzburg
vs. JYP Jyväskylä
4:0
Kloten Flyers
vs. HV71 Jönköping
0:5
Kloten Flyers
vs. JYP Jyväskylä
2:3 OT
Red Bull Salzburg
vs. HV71 Jönköping
3:1
JYP Jyväskylä
vs. HV71 Jönköping
4:3 PS
Kloten Flyers
vs. Red Bull Salzburg
0:2
Red Bull Salzburg
vs. Kloten Flyers
7:1
HV71 Jönköping
vs. JYP Jyväskylä
0:3
Sparta Prague
12
Växjö Lakers
12
KalPa Kuopio
7
Adler Mannheim
5
SaiPa Lappeenranta
14
EV Zug
10
Vitkovice Ostrava
6
ERC Ingolstadt
6
Red Bull Salzburg
15
JYP Jyväskylä
13
HV71 Jönköping
7
Kloten Flyers
1
GROUP H
GROUP I
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Group Stage Results
GROUP J Krefeld Pinguine
vs. Skellefteå AIK
1:2
Sønderjyske Vojens
vs. IFK Helsinki
4:5 PS
Sønderjyske Vojens
vs. Skellefteå AIK
1:4
Krefeld Pinguine
vs. IFK Helsinki
3:5
IFK Helsinki
vs. Krefeld Pinguine
6:1
Skellefteå AIK
vs. Sønderjyske Vojens
4:1
Skellefteå AIK
vs. Krefeld Pinguine
4:0
IFK Helsinki
vs. Sønderjyske Vojens
10:1
Krefeld Pinguine
vs. Sønderjyske Vojens
3:4
Skellefteå AIK
vs. IFK Helsinki
3:0
IFK Helsinki
vs. Skellefteå AIK
5:3
Sønderjyske Vojens
vs. Krefeld Pinguine
4:5
Nottingham Panthers
vs. Lukko Rauma
2:4
Hamburg Freezers
vs. Luleå Hockey
1:4
Nottingham Panthers
vs. Luleå Hockey
1:10
Hamburg Freezers
vs. Lukko Rauma
0:3
Lukko Rauma
vs. Nottingham Panthers
6:2
Luleå Hockey
vs. Hamburg Freezers
6:0
Luleå Hockey
vs. Nottingham Panthers
9:1
Lukko Rauma
vs. Hamburg Freezers
5:0
Nottingham Panthers
vs. Hamburg Freezers
3:1
Luleå Hockey
vs. Lukko Rauma
3:1
Lukko Rauma
vs. Luleå Hockey
2:0
Hamburg Freezers
vs. Nottingham Panthers
6:0
Skellefteå AIK
15
IFK Helsinki
14
Sønderjyske Vojens
4
Krefeld Pinguine
3
Lukko Rauma
15
Luleå Hockey
15
Hamburg Freezers
3
Nottingham Panthers
3
GROUP K
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Playoffs - Final Final
February 3, 2015
4 1/8 Finals
1/4 Finals
Skellefteå AIK
4 4 8
JYP Jyväskylä
5 2 7
Linköping HC
2 2 4
Sparta Prague
1 2 3
Lukko Rauma
5 3 8
TPS Turku
1 4 5
Red Bull Salzburg 4 5 9
Luleå Hockey
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2 8 10
1/2 Finals
Skellefteå AIK
2 4 6
Linköping HC
1 4 5
Luleå Hockey
5 2 7
Lukko Rauma
2 1 3
Luleå Hockey
2 3 5
Skellefteå AIK
2 2 4
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Playoffs - Final Coop Norrbotten Arena
Luleå, Sweden
2 1/2 Finals
1/4 Finals
Kärpät Oulu
3 2 5
Frölunda Gothenburg
2 4 6
1/8 Finals
Kärpät Oulu
2 3 5
SaiPa Lappeenranta
0 2 2
Frölunda Gothenburg
5 1 6
IFK Helsinki
3 2 5
SaiPa Lappeenranta
0 5 5
GenèveServette
2 2 4
Vienna Capitals 1 2 3
Kärpät Oulu
3 3 6
Frölunda Gothenburg
4 5 9
Tappara Tampere
2 1 3
IFK Helsinki
2 3 5
FribourgGottéron
2 1 3
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Brand
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Brand
When Helsinki based creative agency Hasan & Partners set out to create the new Champions Hockey League logo they had in mind nobleness and European style. Sticking to those thoughts, they created a logo that convinces through clear and simple lines. Taking into account the six founding leagues as well as six players facing off each hockey game was the inspiration for the hexagonal shape. The logo is reflected throughout many applications – whether in physical or virtual form. Ground-breaking was the replacement of the traditional center circle with a Hexagon shaped centre on-ice throughout the 2014-15 Playoffs. The key visual - established by Hasan & Partners and developed by USA based creative agency WesWer Design - supplementing the logo illustrates a knight in modern hockey. He displays total confidence in his skills, awaiting the opponent in front of a full arena. Again, this key visual is used across various applications and shall clearly identify any CHL related program or communication material. Via a dedicated website, all clubs are provided with open source production files for them to use the CHL logo and key visuals in their game promotions.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
European Trophy
It is every athlete’s ambition to win as many titles throughout his career, and each competition in sports has its specific trophy that symbolizes the ultimate victory of such competition. The “European Trophy” is said symbol for winning the Champions Hockey League – the most challenging competition in pan-European club hockey. International designers submitted a variety of proposals for a trophy to the CHL. In an unique online poll, fans were able to vote for their favourite design and determine what the CHL trophy shall look like. The winning design came from USA based creative agency WesWer Design and was handcrafted by Italian manufacturer Bosi out of Milan. Based on the hexagonal shape of the CHL logo it represents the six founding leagues of the competition as well as the number of players starting a game. With its size and especially weight (19kg) lifting the trophy will become the ultimate challenge of the season for the winning teams’captain.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
European Trophy
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Marketing
All media and centralized marketing rights of the Champions Hockey League were awarded to Swiss based full service agency Infront Sports & Media AG for global exploitation. With its global network and strong reputation in the market, Infront has been successful in attracting international brands to the CHL in its inaugural season already. The competition allows Commercial Partners to be associated with the best of the best of club ice hockey and to enjoy significant exposure of their brands across various territories. Together with Infront, the CHL is proud to have Partners who believe in the great potential of European club hockey and who share the vision of establishing a premium sports property in the market.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Marketing
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Broadcasting
As part of their media rights, Infront Sports & Media AG, has reached agreements with broadcasters enabling the CHL to be seen in multiple countries around the globe. The Champions Hockey League strives to become the benchmark for broadcasting hockey in Europe. A total of 161 games were produced in HD and made available to takers world-wide. Each TV production follows exact guidelines established by Infront and the CHL to bring all games to the home of the hockey fan in a consistent way. Centralized graphics and statistic packages were created and provided to all broadcast partners for their use. In addition, a centralized satellite booking system was established to facilitate the requirements of broadcasters. The first CHL season attracted a total of 93.5 million TV viewers whilst the CHL Final was shown in 28 territories world-wide.
OUTSIDE EUROPE
EUROPE
Australia
L’Equipe 21
Austria
Brazil
ESPN Brazil
Czech Republic
Comoros Dominican Republic Fiji Islands Haiti Mauritius New Zealand Seychelles Tonga Trinidad & Tobago USA Vanuatu Venezuela
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L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21 One World Sports L’Equipe 21 L’Equipe 21
Finland France Germany Great Britain Ireland Israel Norway Romania Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland
Laola1 Slovak Sport MTV L’Equipe 21 Sport 1 Premier Sports Setanta 1 Sport 1/2 (Charlton) TV2 Look TV Slovak Sport Sport TV SVT Teleclub
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Broadcasting
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Digital Media
www.championshockeyleague.net quickly became the web platform for hockey fans around Europe. Between the CHL’s season start in August 2014 and May 2015, the website had over 1.6 million unique browsers who generated almost six million page views. Apart from news stories, features, game previews, live blogging from all games and from special events such as the draw, full stats package, player bios with portraits of nearly 1.200 players in their CHL jerseys, the website offered fans an excellent, high-quality video package with pay-perview live games, highlight packages after each round and also feature and game preview videos. What makes the website even more appealing to fans is the coverage of the different European leagues and how the
CHL teams are doing on their home front. Championshockeyleague.net has quickly established itself as the hub for European hockey fans who are curious about what’s going on in other Euro national leagues. The Champions Hockey League has been very active on Social Media. The Twitter account @championshockey has delivered almost 4000 tweets for its 14.500 followers. The league’s Facebook page acquired well over 38.000 “likes” in its first season while producing around 1200 postings. “All these numbers are very encouraging and a strong indication that there is a demand for pan-European club hockey,” said Szymon Szemberg, COO and Communications Director of the CHL. “Although fans first and foremost follow their teams on the national platforms and through their own social media channels, our web and
championshockeyleague @championshockey @championshockey championshockeyleague
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Digital Media
social media forums have quickly established themselves as the European arm of communication and interacting.” “The most positive aspect in my view is how European hockey fans from different countries are using the CHL’s social forums to interact with each other, exchange information about their teams and favourite players and they even exchange travel plans to away games,” said Szemberg.
“The clubs also use the CHL community to engage fans and ask for their opinion on certain matters,” explains Szemberg. “Some clubs for example asked their fans if the club should include CHL games into their season ticket packages. What followed was a wonderful discussion on social media where fans weighed in on those issues, social media at its best!”
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
REFEREE & DISCPLINARY Game Officials’ Program The Champions Hockey League introduced a successful On-Ice Game Officials program for the 161 games in cooperation with the national leagues and the IIHF’s Referee Exchange Program. The games in the CHL’s inaugural season were officiated by 64 referees and 82 linesmen from 12 countries and leagues. The total number of game assignments during 201415 was 644; 322 referees and 322 linesmen. The assignments were done centrally by the Champions Hockey League, with an excellent assistance from the national leagues and the IIHF. Disciplinary & Player Safety Program The Champions Hockey League is very proud to have introduced a Disciplinary & Player Safety Program which received immediate recognition from all involved parties, including media and fans who received all news regarding disciplinary decisions in a swift and transparent way. All 161 games were monitored by the CHL’s designated “War Room” in Austria. Of the many disciplinary cases from the 161 games that were investigated, 17 cases led to supplementary discipline for a total of 22 game-suspensions and two reprimands. All cases were viewed, decided and made public to the relevant clubs and on championshockeyleague.net within 24 hours.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Prize Money Distribution
Participation Fee
1/8 Finals 1/4 Finals 1/2 Finals
Final
total
GROUP
Kärpät Oulu Bílí Tygři Liberec HC Kosice Kölner Haie
28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 -
12,000 -
16,000 -
-
67,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Vienna Capitals Färjestad Karlstad ZSC Lions Zurich Vålerenga Oslo
28,000 28,000 28,000 -
11,000 -
-
-
-
39,000 28,000 28,000 -
GROUP
Frölunda Gothenburg Genève-Servette Villach SV Briançon Diables Rouges
28,000 28,000 28,000 -
11,000 11,000 -
12,000 -
16,000 -
30,000 -
97,000 39,000 28,000 -
GROUP
Fribourg-Gottéron PSG Zlin Djurgården Stockholm Eisbären Berlin
28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 -
-
-
-
39,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Tappara Tampere Stavanger Oilers Ocelari Trinec SC Bern
28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 -
-
-
-
39,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Linköping HC TPS Turku HC Bolzano HC Pardubice
28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 11,000 -
12,000 -
-
-
51,000 39,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Sparta Prague Växjö Lakers KalPa Kuopio Adler Mannheim
28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 -
-
-
-
39,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
SaiPa Lappeenranta EV Zug Vitkovice Ostrava ERC Ingolstadt
28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 -
12,000 -
-
-
51,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Red Bull Salzburg JYP Jyväskylä HV71 Jönköping Kloten Flyers
28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 11,000 -
-
-
-
39,000 39,000 28,000 28,000
GROUP
Skellefteå AIK IFK Helsinki Sønderjyske Vojens Krefeld Pinguine
28,000 28,000 28,000
11,000 11,000 -
12,000 12,000 -
16,000 -
-
67,000 51,000 28,000
GROUP
Lukko Rauma Luleå Hockey Hamburg Freezers Nottingham Panthers
28,000 28,000 28,000 -
11,000 11,000 -
12,000 12,000 -
16,000 -
60,000 -
51,000 127,000 28,000 -
TOTAL 44 CLUBS 1,064,000
176,000
96,000
64,000
A B C
D E F
G
H I
J
K
90,000 1,490,000
*all amounts in € | all gross amounts
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Trivia
T he Champions Hockey League saw 871 goals being scored in the first season, 724 in the group stage and 147 in the playoffs. That’s an average of 5.4 goals per game.
T he jersey of Chris Abbott, captain of CHL champion Luleå Hockey, along with the six goal pucks from the final, were proudly donated by the CHL to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
S tavanger Oilers Canadian forward Josh Soares became the CHL’s premier goal scorer. On opening night at Tappara Tampere, the Hamilton-born Soares gave the Norwegian side an early 1-0 at 4:05. The Oilers, who also led 2-0, eventually lost 7-3 to the Finns, but the underdog team still became one of the happy stories of the season competing for the playoffs until the last game.
L uleå was not only the winner, but also the northernmost place of all 44 participants. The city is located 109 km from the Arctic Circle.
T he 2014-15 CHL season attracted a total of 490.848 spectators for an average of 3048 fans per game. T he top three teams in attendance were all from the German DEL; Eisbären Berlin, Adler Mannheim and Hamburg Freezers. All three teams drew over 5.000 fans on average, despite limited success. Slovak HC Kosice was fourth with 4.700. T hree German teams also led the CHL in penalties-per-game; Krefeld Pinguine, Eisbären Berlin and Hamburg Freezers.
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S wiss Fribourg-Gottéron had the distinction of scoring most short-handed goals – 4. Djurgården Stockholm, who played in the same group as Fribourg, were the opposite, last in this category, allowing 4 short-handed goals. D jurgården compensated for their propensity to allow short-handed goals by leading the CHL in power-play efficiency with 32.43% - an unusually high percentage. L inköping HC had the best penalty-killing with 89.74%. D jurgården is the oldest of all CHL clubs, founded in 1891. But the hockey program was integrated much later, in the early 20s. Ice hockey didn’t exist in Europe before the turn of the century.
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
Trivia
w ww.championshockeyleague.net had over 1.6 million unique visitors between the start of the league in August 2014 and April 2015. The visitors combined for over six million page views. T he CHL’s two social media forums Twitter and Facebook are followed by over 50.000 fans. F our players from Frölunda Gothenburg were on top of league scoring; Mathis Olimb (26 pts), Andreas Johnsson (25 pts), defenseman Erik Gustafsson (19 pts) and Max Görtz (15 pts). Mathis Olimb was also named CHL’s Most Valuable Player as presented by NordicBet. A ndreas Johnsson, Frölunda, led all players in plus-minus with +12. F or going all the way, Luleå’s accumulated prize money was almost 130.000 euro. T he games in the CHL’s inaugural season were officiated by 64 referees and 82 linesmen from 12 countries and leagues. The total number of game assignments during 2014-2015 was 644; 322 referees and 322 linesmen. T he Nottingham Panthers had the highest number of non-home grown players; 16 out of 28 players on the roster were from outside of Great Britain.
T aking top pan-European club competitions into account which were recognized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luleå’s win was the first by a Swedish win since Djurgården won the old IIHF European Cup in 1992. Luleå of course won the European Trophy in 2012. O f the current CHL clubs, three have previously won official European club championship titles; Djurgården 1991 and 1992 (European Cup), TPS Turku 1994 (European Cup) and 1997 (European Hockey League) and ZSC Lions Zurich 2009 (Champions Hockey League). T he highest TV-attendance in the first season was the 492.000 who watched the semi-final second led Kärpät Oulu vs. Frölunda Gothenburg on Swedish SVT. A very good number in a country of 9 million. F inalists Luleå and Frölunda shared Most Goals Scored by a team, both with 58. S weden had the highest winning percentage of all CHL countries. The eight Swedish teams combined for a win-% of 64.35. Finns were second with 60.19 and the four EBEL teams (Austria-Italy) came in third with 57.14. These were the three countries/leagues with winning percentages over 50%.
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CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
A WORD FROM THE WINNER
When this was written, a couple of months have passed since our Swiss defenseman Dean Kukan sealed our Champions Hockey League victory with the empty-net goal, making Luleå Hockey holder of the impressive European Trophy and giving us the opportunity to rightfully claim the title “best team in Europe”. Already when we joined the European club competition four seasons ago we decided to go all-in. Our team and the entire organization have been fully committed to playing in Europe. When the inaugural Champions Hockey League started in August 2014, there were an impressive 44 teams with ambitions to go as far as possible. After 161 games, there was only one team left celebrating. Luleå Hockey. The northernmost of all the CHL teams. From a city, just south of the Arctic Circle, that probably most of you outside of Scandinavia never even heard of before. Our club, our fans and our city are incredibly proud over this accomplishment. And whatever happens in the future, this is something that no one will ever be able to take away from us; we were the first winners of this Champions Hockey League! But our win also shows what a small difference there is between success and failure. What if our team had lost faith after we were down 8-3 on aggregate against Red Bull Salzburg in the return game in Austria? Instead of giving up, we fought back and won the series in a penalty shootout. This was nothing less than a miracle. A little lucky? Yes, maybe, but you make your own luck. I prefer to call it character.
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And what if Frölunda had gone 3-0 up on us in the second period of the final, when our goalie Joel Lassinantti came up big and made some superb saves? Well, that would probably have been the game, but we managed again to rally back and turn it around. Luleå Hockey is a very strong supporter and a proud stakeholder in the Champions Hockey League. We know that we will probably not win the trophy every year, or even be in the top, but the CHL is so much more than just winning or losing. It has given European hockey clubs new perspectives, an opportunity to compare our skills with teams from the other leagues and gives us a chance to grow our great game around Europe. Winning was wonderful. But maybe the best part of the Champions Hockey League was the interaction with the foreign teams, to learn under which conditions they work and also to create a chance for our fans to meet supporters from other countries. We have seen many examples of wonderful friendships emerge between our fans and the fans of the teams we have met. For instance, it was an incredible feeling to see how the Nottingham Panthers and their fans stayed on to support Luleå Hockey on our way to the final victory. Finally, we would like to send a big Thank you to all clubs and to all who have worked with the Champions Hockey League. This was such a treat. And this is just the beginning! Thor Stöckel Director of Sports Luleå Hockey
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014-15
A WORD FROM THE WINNER
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