2019–20 Champions Hockey League

The 2019–20 Champions Hockey League is the sixth season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. 32 teams are competing in the tournament, and qualification was on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues are represented by between three and five teams (based on a three-year league ranking), while seven "challenge leagues" are represented by one team each. One place was awarded to the champion of the 2018–19 Champions Hockey League as well as a wild card spot selected by the board. Unlike in the first three editions of the tournament, founding teams did not automatically qualify.
Swedish team Frölunda HC successfully defended their Champions Hockey League title, defeating Czech team Mountfield HK 3–1 in the final to win the European Trophy for a fourth time. For the first time in the history of the league, the final was held in the Czech Republic as Mountfield HK earned the right to host the game at ČPP Arena.
==Team allocation==
A total of 32 teams from 13 different European first-tier leagues are participating in the 2019–20 Champions Hockey League. There were 24 teams from the six founding leagues, as well as the national champions from Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, France, Belarus, Great Britain and Poland qualified. Out of the founding leagues Sweden and Switzerland were allocated 5 teams, Finland and Czech Republic 4 with Austria and Germany given 3. Because no league was allowed more than five teams, the winner of the 2018–19 Champions Hockey League won a berth but at the expense of a place for their league. 
Due to the fact that Arlan Kokshetau of the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship were ineligible to qualify for the Champions Hockey League despite winning the 2018–19 Continental Cup, it was announced that the board would select a Wild Card team in its place. On 13 February, the Champions Hockey League announced that the Belfast Giants as Continental Cup runners-up had been approved to take part as the Wild Card entry.
The qualification for these places was set out in the rules as follows:
# CHL champions 
# National league champions (play-off winners)
# Regular season winners 
# Regular season runners-up 
# Regular season third-placed team
# Regular season fourth-placed team
# Regular season fifth-placed team
For the Austrian Hockey League teams are however picked in this order:
# League champions
# Regular season winners
# Pick Round winners
# Pick Round runners-up
# Losing playoff finalists
Note: Great Britain is the lone exception as the EIHL, in line with their traditions, determine their national champion following the regular season (not in the playoffs).
===Teams===
Team 	City/Area 	League 	Qualification 	Participation	Previous Best
Frölunda HC 	Gothenburg 	Swedish Hockey League 	2019 CHL winner 	6th 	Champion
Färjestad BK 	Karlstad 	Swedish Hockey League 	Regular season winner 	4th 	Round of 32
Luleå HF 	Luleå 	Swedish Hockey League 	Regular season runner-up 	4th 	Champion
Djurgårdens IF 	Stockholm 	Swedish Hockey League 	Regular season fourth 	5th 	Round of 16
Skellefteå AIK 	Skellefteå 	Swedish Hockey League 	Regular season fifth 	5th 	Semi-finals
SC Bern 	Bern 	National League 	Play-off champion 	6th 	Quarter-finals
EV Zug 	Zug 	National League 	Regular season runner-up 	6th 	Round of 16
Lausanne HC 	Lausanne 	National League 	Regular season third 	1st 	First appearance
EHC Biel 	Biel/Bienne 	National League 	Regular season fourth 	1st 	First appearance
HC Ambrì-Piotta 	Ambrì 	National League 	Regular season fifth 	1st 	First appearance
HPK 	Hämeenlinna 	SM-liiga 	Play-off champion 	1st 	First appearance
Kärpät 	Oulu 	SM-liiga 	Regular season winner 	5th 	Final
Tappara 	Tampere 	SM-liiga 	Regular season runner-up 	6th 	Round of 16
Pelicans 	Lahti 	SM-liiga 	Regular season third 	1st 	First appearance
Oceláři Třinec 	Třinec 	Czech Extraliga 	Play-off champion 	5th 	Semi-finals
Bílí Tygři Liberec 	Liberec 	Czech Extraliga 	Regular season winner 	5th 	Semi-finals
HC Plzeň 	Plzeň 	Czech Extraliga 	Regular season third 	3rd 	Semi-finals
Mountfield HK 	Hradec Králové 	Czech Extraliga 	Regular season fourth 	3rd 	Group stage
Adler Mannheim 	Mannheim 	Deutsche Eishockey Liga	Play-off champion 	5th 	Round of 16
Red Bull München 	Munich 	Deutsche Eishockey Liga	Regular season runner-up 	5th 	Final
Augsburger Panther 	Augsburg 	Deutsche Eishockey Liga	Regular season third 	1st 	First appearance
EC KAC 	Klagenfurt 	Austrian Hockey League 	Play-off champion 	3rd 	Group stage
Graz 99ers 	Graz 	Austrian Hockey League 	Regular season first round winner	1st 	First appearance
Vienna Capitals 	Vienna 	Austrian Hockey League 	Regular season pick round winner 	6th 	Round of 16
Belfast Giants 	Belfast 	Elite Ice Hockey League	Continental Cup Wild Card 	1st 	First appearance
Yunost Minsk 	Minsk 	Belarusian Extraleague 	Play-off champion 	3rd 	Round of 32
Frisk Asker 	Asker 	GET-ligaen 	Play-off champion 	1st 	First appearance
HC '05 Banská Bystrica	Banská Bystrica	Tipsport Liga 	Play-off champion 	3rd 	Group stage
Brûleurs de Loups 	Grenoble 	Ligue Magnus 	Play-off champion 	2nd 	Group stage
Rungsted Ishockey 	Rungsted 	Metal Ligaen 	Play-off champion 	1st 	First appearance
Cardiff Devils 	Cardiff 	Elite Ice Hockey League	Regular season runner-up 	3rd 	Group stage
GKS Tychy 	Tychy 	Polska Hokej Liga 	Play-off champion 	2nd 	Group stage
==Group stage==
For the group stage, the teams will be drawn into 8 groups of 4 teams. Each team will play home and away against every other team for a total of 6 games. The best 2 teams qualify to the round of 16.
===Pots===
The reigning CHL champions is the top seeded team and therefore given a place in pot 1. In the top pot there will also be the reigning champions of the six founding leagues and the regular season winner of SHL. The 16 remaining teams from the founding leagues will be placed to pots 2 and 3. The fourth pot include the playoff champions from the seven challenge leagues and the Belfast Giants, the wild card team following the 2018–19 IIHF Continental Cup.
Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
 Frölunda HC 
 Färjestad BK 
 SC Bern 
 HPK 
 Oceláři Třinec 
 Adler Mannheim 
 EC KAC 
 Luleå HF	
 EV Zug 
 Kärpät 
 Bílí Tygři Liberec 
 Red Bull München 
 Graz 99ers 
 Djurgårdens IF 
 Lausanne HC 
 Tappara	
 HC Plzeň 
 Augsburger Panther 
 Vienna Capitals 
 Skellefteå AIK 
 EHC Biel 
 Pelicans 
 Mountfield HK 
 HC Ambrì-Piotta	
 Yunost Minsk 
 Frisk Asker 
 HC '05 Banská Bystrica 
 Brûleurs de Loups 
 Rungsted Ishockey 
 Cardiff Devils 
 GKS Tychy 
 Belfast Giants
===Group A===
===Group B===
===Group C===
===Group D===
===Group E===
===Group F===
===Group G===
===Group H===
===Group stage tie-breaking criteria===
If two teams were tied in points after the group stage is finished, the teams precedence is decided by head-to-head games. If the teams are still tied after that, then the team that was ranked higher prior to the tournament will take precedence. When comparing head-to-head results, the following criteria will be applied:
# more points in games against the other tied team
# better goal difference in games against the other tied team
# more goals scored against the other tied team
# more goals scored in a single game against the other tied team
# overtime wins against the other tied team
# more goals scored in the two game winning shot competitions
# higher position in the 2016–17 CHL club ranking
== Playoffs ==
=== Qualified teams ===
Group	Winners (seed) 	Runners-up
A 	EHC Biel 	Tappara
B 	EV Zug 	HC Plzeň
C 	Luleå HF 	Augsburger Panther
D 	Lausanne HC 	Yunost Minsk
E 	Skellefteå AIK 	SC Bern
F 	Adler Mannheim 	Djurgårdens IF
G 	Red Bull München	Färjestad BK
H 	Frölunda HC 	Mountfield HK
=== Format ===
In each round except the final, the teams will play two games and the aggregate score will decide which team advances. As a rule, the first leg will be hosted by the team who has the inferior record in the tournament with the second leg being played on the home ice of the other team. If aggregate score is tied, a sudden death overtime will follow. If the overtime is scoreless, the team who wins the shoot out competition advances.
The final will be played on the home ice of the team who has the better record in the tournament.
=== Bracket ===
The 8 group winners and the 8 second-placed teams advanced to the Round of 16. The teams were divided into two seeding groups and group winners were randomly drawn against runners-up. Teams who had faced each other in the group stage couldn't be drawn against each other in the round of 16.[8] The draw took place in Helsinki, Finland on 18 October 2019.
Note:
#The teams listed on top of each tie were runners up in the group stage and play the first leg at home. The bottom team were group winners and play the second leg at home. Skellefteå AIK, however, would play their first leg at home in their tie against Djurgårdens IF.
#The order of the legs (which team starts at home) in the future rounds may be changed as the team with the best record should have the second game at home.
=== Final ===
==Statistics==
===Scoring Leaders===
===Leading Goaltenders===
== References ==
2019
Champions