2017-18 Champions Hockey League

[habsturies]

How would that be helpful? FCB's hockey branch isn't even particularly good in their national league.

Hockey branch don't give political revenues as football,handball and basket does.

The problem between R.Madrid & Barcelona,is nothing else than political.Madrid got the support of the national goverment and their banks,and Barcelona got the regional goverment behind and the catalonian banks.

centralism vs independentism.
the rest of teams in Europe Never ever can compite in money resources,cause is a unique situation.

I hate both.

 

[joshyhockey26]

Group stage is set! http://www.championshockeyleague.net/news/luck-of-the-draw-groups-known/2896

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

It's always possible and it could actually work but if you ask me, I'd rather keep hockey "clean" from those corporates which have ruined basketball and football enough already. I grew up with so much love for football and basketball, which slowly vanished away in recent years and is now almost completely gone. Honestly we don't need few teams that would pump money only to sweep everyone on their way to the championship.

Sure, hockey teams are not run by saints and it also is a business where dirty money can be involved but at least for now we have very competitive leagues and a relatively clean, nice fan base. So, in fact, while I'd be very happy if CHL became successful, I don't care much about it as long as hockey remains what it now is. I mean, if SHL, DEL, Liiga, NLA, KHL etc. keeps their level and producing some good hockey in years to come... It's fine.

I'm really interested to hear why people believe CHL will turn into a major league in future. For this, you need to make it a prestigious and lucrative. With fans pretty much uninterested barring few markets, this is almost impossible. Getting media exposure and TV deals is a pain in the arse for most hockey leagues, simply because most people are not interested in the sport. Incentives to make hockey more known to people can always work but the question is: who and why would pump money and effort into this?

I kind of agree with you (I doubt the CHL will ever be what it pretends to be), but still props to them for trying and creating a somewhat interesting competition.
Having the playoffs starting in october still sounds crazy to me, but hey - it's an Olympic season. We have not much time usually, and in Olympics years it's even crazier.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

I still think that the best for European hockey would be having "two KHLs" and have them fight for the championship in the playoffs. Too bad it will never happen.

 

[Hinterland]

I kind of agree with you (I doubt the CHL will ever be what it pretends to be), but still props to them for trying and creating a somewhat interesting competition.
Having the playoffs starting in october still sounds crazy to me, but hey - it's an Olympic season. We have not much time usually, and in Olympics years it's even crazier.

The ChL was a serious competition in 08/09 with Europe's best teams and some actual money involved.
What it is now is nice to have but I agree that it's nowhere near what it pretends to be. It's more like a friendly tournament. Attendance here in Switzerland tells you everything you need to know.

 

[doug88]

This is crazy how nobody cares about it They should really cancel the whole thing.

 

[habsturies]

I care both,and I like both.
They are the best hockey that we have in Europe.

Different models.That's it.

 

[albator71]

We have to be patient here

It will take many years before it becomes important

Rome wasn't build in a day

I'm very excited for this year Champions League

Let's give it chance before we shoot it down

 

[weetabix]

CHL should be marketed little differently. Nowadays our Liiga is not shown in free-to-view market and so it's probably in many other countries with their respected hockey leagues. You don't get to see Premier or Spanish La Liga without paying but from football the Champions League you got to see one game from tuesday round (or we get, this differs from country-to-country since broadcasters of course decide what they are willing to pay).

Why not show the games and market them accordingly. You rise prestige by actually showing the games to public and you don't get that much oportunities to see good hockey nowadays without paying your ass off from it.

 

[Zamboni Parade]

This is crazy how nobody cares about it They should really cancel the whole thing.

The timing is quite unfortunate what with the Worlds and the Stanley Cup playoffs going on. CHL group draws aren't the most exciting thing in comparison
I reckon that interest will pick up again when the actual games are about to start and people are longing for some hockey after the summer break.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

The timing is quite unfortunate what with the Worlds and the Stanley Cup playoffs going on. CHL group draws aren't the most exciting thing in comparison
I reckon that interest will pick up again when the actual games are about to start and people are longing for some hockey after the summer break.

Yes these fellows must study their timing better because I think that the whole league is off-timing. IIHF WC now are at their peak, who cares about CHL draws? There are Stanley Cup playoffs to oas you pointed out. Games start too early into the season (in Olympic years there may be no other choice, but other years it has been the same) and end up too early too.

 

[Ciccarelli]

And just becose there is no talk on HFBoards doesn't mean that nobody cares. Plenty of talk on the finnish hockey forum Jatkoaika.com. A lot of fans already waiting for the schedules to come up so they can start to arrenge trips to the away games.

 

[pled]

the game aren't happening for a while why would people care for the drawn that's totally normal and I updated the first post with the groups.

 

[Hinterland]

We have to be patient here

It will take many years before it becomes important

Rome wasn't build in a day

I'm very excited for this year Champions League

Let's give it chance before we shoot it down

As long as there's no money involved it will remain an irrelevant tournament.
Swiss teams make good money...why would they risk the health of their top players just to win a bit of pride? Why would they risk their chances of winning league games by investing too much energy in ChL games which interrupt the league schedule? And if the teams don't care, the fans don't care either.

The 08/09 edition was completely different. They should find some proper sponsors and TV-broadcasters who actually pay some bucks. Until then, this tournament makes little sense.

 

[XokkeyGuy]

Guys,

I'm not sure if the CHL is going to get anymore than what it is. Remember that its main prio and reason for its existence was to hault the great KHL expansion.
When KHL made a name out there and started to expand into all directions, taking teams from central europe, former soviet countries, Finland and even discussing with swedish teams - European hockey federations had to take action and had 3 alternatives:

1. Go with it and let KHL expand, eventually leading into a Eurasian (well, Kontinental) Hockey League, where the national leagues would only exist as regional divisions, ultimately fighting for Gagarin Cup.
2. Create a western european alternative regional tournament/league that would secure the national leagues but would unite the all the european countries (which would mean a CHL under which the KHL teams would feature.
3. Create a western european alternative regional tournament/league as above but without the KHL involved.

So, alternative 1 was out of the picture, but they western europeans wanted the 2nd alternative, which KHL denied because this would undermine the whole purpose for creating KHL, they said that there is already a KHL, why do we need a CHL?

So it ended up with alternative 3, which doesn´t really suit anyone, but for western europeans it meant that KHL couldn´t expand into new territory in the same way anymore. Now last few months there has been talk about eventually having the winner of KHL facing the winner of CHL in some way. What is even more close to happen is that 2 KHL teams get free spots to the CHL quarter finals.

Ultimately, there is not only a battle between NHL vs IIHF, but also between the western european hockey federations vs the KHL. Even Fasel (who is pretty positive to russian hockey) had a speech last year suggesting the KHL shouldn´t expand as it has done, it would not serve european hockey well (not sure why though).

A little lesson in sports politics here in the european ice hockey

 

[pled]

Guys,

2. Create a western european alternative regional tournament/league that would secure the national leagues but would unite the all the european countries (which would mean a CHL under which the KHL teams would feature.
3. Create a western european alternative regional tournament/league as above but without the KHL involved.

So it ended up with alternative 3, which doesn´t really suit anyone, but for western europeans it meant that KHL couldn´t expand into new territory in the same way anymore. Now last few months there has been talk about eventually having the winner of KHL facing the winner of CHL in some way. What is even more close to happen is that 2 KHL teams get free spots to the CHL quarter finals.

They did offer KHL 2 free playoff spot and they refused so they can't really do anything more other than trying to promote the CHL more.

 

[XokkeyGuy]

They did offer KHL 2 free playoff spot and they refused so they can't really do anything more other than trying to promote the CHL more.

Oh, I missed out that the KHL refused the invitation. Well then, the battle goes on..

 

[pled]

Oh, I missed out that the KHL refused the invitation. Well then, the battle goes on..

They didn't officially refused but they were officially offered and aren't in league so..

 

[Hinterland]

Again. Why should the KHL take part? How much money for the winner? Still around 200k for the whole tournament? ChL needs some proper sponsors and broadcasting deals. Until that happens, european top clubs won't care.

 

[XokkeyGuy]

Again. Why should the KHL take part? How much money for the winner? Still around 200k for the whole tournament? ChL needs some proper sponsors and broadcasting deals. Until that happens, european top clubs won't care.

I think for KHL starting in a quarter final it could state its dominance in Europe much clearer and after (for them hopefully) winning it 2-3 years in a row they could withdraw from CHL claiming something as "its tearing our clubs schedule" or "too much time for too little money" - but they would win a great prestige in doing so.

 

[Babula]

Is in Europe any need to hold this tourney without KHL teams ? No, is my answer... that is all... It is like champions league in football without England. all due respect to Spain or Italy. no word to France.

 

[rduck1]

Is in Europe any need to hold this tourney without KHL teams ? No, is my answer... that is all... It is like champions league in football without England. all due respect to Spain or Italy. no word to France.

Yes, is my answer. I get to see all kinds of teams from around Europe play against my local team, and for a very decent price. Great and enjoyable events, with something new every time.

 

[JayGould]

Sweden, Finland, Russia and Continental Europe should be 4 divisions (which would basically be their own leagues, just like today). Then the top 4 teams from each league goes to a 5 or 7 series playoff.

 

[XokkeyGuy]

Sweden, Finland, Russia and Continental Europe should be 4 divisions (which would basically be their own leagues, just like today). Then the top 4 teams from each league goes to a 5 or 7 series playoff.

That is how both sides want it to be, but the KHL feels like its natural if these divisions are created under the KHL, given the fact that they already have regional divisions. On the other hand the other hockey federations would probably like to have it incorporated under the CHL somehow.

 

[Slimmy]

I see a lot of complaints about the tournament but I'm fine with it like it is. The quality of hockey is great and the match ups are really interesting. People's eyes open to the tournament as soon as their team has a deep run.