European hockey federations spoke out for the reconstruction of the Champions Cup

Representatives of the Hockey federations of Finland, Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland at their meeting confirmed that their champions will take part in the tournament of the six strongest European clubs in January, the director of special projects of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) Federico Saviotszi said yesterday.

“We have advanced significantly in terms of the implementation of this project, and now the best teams of the Old World will be able to find out whose champion is stronger,” he said.

The place of the tournament will be announced on March 18, when in most countries the finalists of national championships are known in most countries, and the league will give a way to the structure of the calendar of the next season, reports Sport Express .

The tournament participants will be selected by the following principle: five champion clubs from the countries of the first five of the recently established rating IIHF plus the champion of the country that will offer the best conditions for the holding of this tournament. All teams will be divided into two groups (three in each) and play the circular system, and the winners of the groups will enter the final in which they will play the main prize.

The IIHF rating, which will be published after the 2004 World Cup in the Czech Republic, will determine the six of the best countries. Therefore, if the tournament of six champions starts, as planned, in January 2005, the clubs of these countries will take part in its first draw. According to the current IIHF rating , among European countries, Russia ranks fifth. Canadians are led by the rating, which, however, will not be able to take part in the future tournament "on a geographical basis".