European Trophy

European Trophy (previously named Nordic Trophy between 2006 and 2009) is a pre-season ice hockey tournament, traditionally composed of teams from some of the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe. With 24 participating teams from six different countries as of 2011, European Trophy is currently the biggest active pre-season ice hockey tournament in Europe.
Sweden and Finland have always participated, and they were the only two countries participating when the tournament was named "Nordic Trophy". No team has ever won the tournament more than one time. Since the tournament's inauguration in 2006, eight countries have been represented: Sweden, Finland, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Norway.
In 2007, the tournament expanded from six to eight teams and included the respective clubs' junior team. In 2008 the league expanded again with another two teams. In 2010, the tournament changed name to European Trophy and featured clubs also from Norway, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Austria, in addition to the Finnish and Swedish clubs.
In 2011, the tournament included 24 teams. Slovakia was for the first time represented in the tournament, but Norway and Switzerland were not represented. The 2012 tournament will have 32 teams; among the new ones, Switzerland will return with four teams.
==Teams==
In 2006 and 2007, the Nordic Trophy consisted of four Swedish teams, Djurgården, Frölunda, Färjestad and Linköping; and four Finnish teams, HIFK, Oulun Kärpät, Tappara and TPS. In 2008, the tournament was expanded with two teams, Swedish team HV71 and Finnish team Jokerit. It got expanded again in 2009, when Malmö Redhawks from Sweden and Lukko from Finland. However, the Swedish and Finnish teams were split that year and instead, there were two tournaments: a Swedish 2009 Nordic Trophy tournament for the Swedish teams only; and a Finnish 2009 Nordic Trophy tournament for the Finnish teams only.
In 2010, the tournament became European. Lukko from Finland disappeared, and was replaced by fellow Nordic team Vålerenga from Norway. Adler Mannheim and Eisbären Berlin from Germany, and Czech team Sparta Praha, completed the Capital Division; while Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg, along with Bern and ZSC Lions from Switzerland, completed the Central Division. These new teams prompted the changing of the tournament name to European Trophy.
In the 2011 tournament, there were 24 teams. Sweden and Finland were represented by six teams each. Luleå HF replaced the Swedish team Malmö Redhawks. From Finland, KalPa was for the first time included in the tournament. Seven teams from the Czech Republic participated: HC Slavia Praha, HC Sparta Praha, HC Mountfield České Budějovice, HC Liberec, HC Pardubice, HC Plzeň 1929, and HC Kometa Brno. The German teams Eisbären Berlin and Adler Mannheim remained in the tournament. Besides EC Red Bull Salzburg, there was now a second team from Austria, the Vienna Capitals. Slovakia was for the first time represented in the European Trophy tournament, with HC Slovan Bratislava. Norway and Switzerland, however, were no longer represented.
The 2012 edition of the tournament will be expanded further by eight teams, for a total of 32 teams. The Swedish team Brynäs IF has been confirmed to join the tournament this year; Switzerland will return with four teams; another two German teams will participate; and another team from Finland will join the tournament. Presently it's not known how the teams will be divided. The schedule will be similar to 2011: the regulation round will be played in August–September, while the playoffs will be played in December.
Division	Team 	City 	Home arena 	Capacity	Joined NT/ET
North 	Djurgårdens IF 	Stockholm 	Hovet 	8,094 	2006
North 	HIFK 	Helsinki 	Helsinki Ice Hall 	8,200 	2006
North 	Jokerit 	Helsinki 	Hartwall Areena 	13,349 	2008
North 	Sparta Praha 	Prague 	Tesla Arena 	16,995 	2010
North 	Slavia Praha 	Prague 	O2 Arena 	18,000 	2011
North 	Luleå HF 	Luleå 	Coop Arena 	6,200 	2011
South 	Linköpings HC 	Linköping 	Cloetta Center 	8,500 	2006
South 	HV71 	Jönköping 	Kinnarps Arena 	7,038 	2008
South 	Adler Mannheim 	Mannheim 	SAP Arena 	10,600 	2010
South 	Bílí Tygři Liberec 	Liberec 	Tipsport Arena 	7,500 	2011
South 	ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice 	Pardubice 	ČEZ Aréna 	10,194 	2011
South 	Kometa Brno 	Brno 	Hala Rondo 	7,200 	2011
East 	Oulun Kärpät 	Oulu 	Oulun Energia Areena 	6,614 	2006
East 	KalPa 	Kuopio 	Kuopion Jäähalli 	5225 	2011
East 	Mountfield České Budějovice	České Budějovice	Budvar Arena 	6,421 	2011
East 	Plzeň 1929 	Plzeň 	ČEZ Aréna 	8,420 	2011
East 	Slovan Bratislava 	Bratislava 	Slovnaft Arena 	10,000 	2011
East 	Vienna Capitals 	Vienna 	Albert Schultz Eishalle	7,000 	2011
West 	Färjestads BK 	Karlstad 	Löfbergs Lila Arena 	8,647 	2006
West 	Frölunda Indians 	Gothenburg 	Scandinavium 	12,044 	2006
West 	TPS 	Turku 	HK Arena 	11,820 	2006
West 	Tappara 	Tampere 	Hakametsä Areena 	7,800 	2006
West 	Eisbären Berlin 	Berlin 	O2 World 	14,200 	2010
West 	Red Bull Salzburg 	Salzburg 	Eisarena Salzburg 	3,600 	2010
==Tournament structure==
In the 2011 edition of the European Trophy, the tournament is divided into regular round games between August and September, when teams play each other in a predefined schedule, and a playoff weekend in December which is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the European Trophy Champion.
===Regular round games===
In the regular round games, the 24 teams are divided into four divisions and each team plays against each other team in the same division, and an additional three games against teams from the other divisions, for a total of eight games per team. Points are awarded for each game, where three points are awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for winning in overtime or penalty shots, one point for losing in overtime or penalty shots, and zero points for a loss in regulation time. The two highest ranked teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. However, the worst second ranked team out of all four divisions misses the playoffs if EC Red Bull Salzburg qualify as hosts.
===Playoffs===
The European Trophy playoffs are played as the Red Bull Salute in Salzburg and Vienna during a weekend in December. It is a single-elimination tournament, where two teams play against each other in order to advance to the next round.
==Trophies and awards==
At the end of the final weekend, the winner of the final game is crowned the European Trophy Champions. There are four player awards based on their statistics during the tournament: the RBK Nordic Star, best goalkeeper, best defencemen and best forward.
== Winners ==
Nordic Trophy 	Nordic Trophy 	Nordic Trophy
Year 	Regular round winners 	Playoff winners(Nordic Trophy Champions)
2006 	Färjestads BK 	Färjestads BK
2007 	Oulun Kärpät 	Oulun Kärpät
2008 	Linköpings HC 	Linköpings HC
2009 	HV71 (Swedish tournament) 	Djurgårdens IF (Swedish tournament)
2009 	Lukko (Finnish tournament)	Tappara (Finnish tournament)
European Trophy	European Trophy 	European Trophy
Year 	Regular round winners 	Playoff winners(European Trophy Champions)
2010 	HV71 	Eisbären Berlin
2011 	Plzeň 1929 	Red Bull Salzburg
==References==
==External links==
*European Trophy official website
*SHL live streams
*Nordic Trophy statistics
== See also ==
* European Trophy Junior
Category:Ice hockey tournaments
Category:European Trophy