2008–09 Champions Hockey League
Encyclopedia
Group stage
The draw for the group stage took place on Friday, 25 April 2008 in ZurichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The twelve teams were drawn into groups of three. Each group played a double round-robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. If the games were decided after 60 minutes, the winner was awarded 3 points and the loser 0 points. In case of a tie, both teams got 1 point and a penalty shoot-out was staged with the winner being awarded a second point. The best team of each group – the two Russian teams Ufa and Magnitogorsk, Espoo from Finland and the ZSC Lions from Switzerland – advanced to the semi-finals.
Group A
Eisbären Berlin played their two home games at the new O2 WorldO2 World
O2 World is a multi-use indoor arena, in the Friedrichshain neighborhood, of Berlin, that opened in September 2008. Developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group, it was named O2 World, when O2 Germany purchased the naming rights...
in Berlin in front of 13,000 and 13,500 spectators, respectively, a Champions Hockey League record. Magnitogorsk qualified for the semi-finals on gameday 5 after winning their first three games. Metallurg's Jan Marek was the top scorer in group A with 2 goals and 5 assists.
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Metallurg MagnitogorskMetallurg Magnitogorsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League... |
4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 9 |
 Eisbären BerlinEisbären Berlin ' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members... |
4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
 KärpätKärpät Oulun Kärpät is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga based in Oulu, Finland. Their logo features a stoat ; "kärpät" is Finnish for stoats or ermines. The team has won five league championships .-History:... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 1 |
Group B
Espoo won all 4 of their games and qualified for the semi-final after gameday 5. The top scorer in group B was Bern's Christian DubéChristian Dubé
Christian Dubé is a Canadian professional right winger currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron in National League A.Dubé is the son of former pro hockey player Norm Dubé. He spent many years growing up in Switzerland, while his father was playing there. He returned to Canada as a teenager, and...
with 5 goals (and 0 assists).
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espoo Blues Espoo Blues The Blues are an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Espoo, Finland at the Barona Areena.-Team history:The club was established in February 1984 as Kiekko-Espoo and played their first season in 1984-1985 in the Finnish Second Division... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 12 |
 HV71HV71 HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 18 | 3 |
 SC BernSC Bern Schlittschuh Club Bern is an ice hockey team based in Bern, Switzerland. The club was the most attended team in Europe for the 2010-11 season, averaging 15,856 spectators.... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 3 |
Group C
Salavat Yulaev was the first team of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League to qualify for the semi-finals after winning their first three games. The top scorer in group C was Ufa's Alexander RadulovAlexander Radulov
Alexander Valerievich Radulov is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League . Radulov is the KHL's all-time assist leader with 125 career assists...
with 1 goal and 4 assists.
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev is a professional ice hockey team based in Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. They are members of the Chernyshev Division of the Kontinental Hockey League, and were part of Group C of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League.-History:The... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 12 |
 HC České BudějoviceHC Ceské Budejovice HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 3 |
 HC Slovan BratislavaHC Slovan Bratislava Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava is a professional ice hockey team in the Slovak Extraliga from the Slovak capital Bratislava. They play their home games at Samsung Arena.... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 3 |
Group D
The winner of group D was not decided until the final game in Prague between Slavia and the ZSC Lions. In front of 8,137 spectators, the Lions won the game 5–1 after scoring 4 goals in the last period. The group's top scorer (and the leading scorer after all group stage games) was Adrian WichserAdrian Wichser
Adrian Wichser is a Swiss ice hockey winger, who currently plays for the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in the Swiss National League A.-References:...
from ZSC with 9 assists (and 0 goals).
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 11 | 10 |
| HC Slavia Praha |
4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 15 | 8 |
| Linköpings HC Linköpings HC Linköpings Hockey Club, often known by its acronym LHC or, colloquially among its fans, Cluben, is an ice hockey team from Linköping, Sweden.... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 0 |
Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played as two-legged matches. If a game was tied after 60 minutes, it would have been counted as a tie, without a penalty shoot-out taking place. Only if after two games the teams were level on points (i.e. one win each or two ties), a penalty shoot-out was staged to determine the series winner Home ice advantage of the second game went to the teams with the better records in the group stage.First Semi-final
Because both teams from Russia qualified for the semi-finals, they had to play against each other according to the tournament regulations. Salavat Yulaev won the first game in Magnitogorsk with goaltender Alexandr EremenkoAlexandr Eremenko
Alexander Vladimirovich Eremenko , is a Russian ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Dynamo Moscow in the KHL.-Career:Alexander Eremenko started his pro career in 1999 with the Russian hockey team THK Tver...
stopping 36 shots. The second game in Ufa, however, was won by Metallurg. Therefore, a penalty shoot-out was staged to determine the series winner, which was won 2–0 by Magnitogorsk.
Second Semi-final
Because the HallenstadionHallenstadion
The Hallenstadion is a multi-purpose facility, in the Swiss city of Zurich.Designed by Bruno Giacometti, it opened on July 18, 1939, and was renovated in 2005....
in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, the home arena of the ZSC Lions, was not available on the semi-final dates, the Lions were forced to play their home game at the Diners Club Arena in Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
, about 25 km away from Zurich. The ZSC Lions won both their "home" game and the game in Espoo, where they were accompanied by about 600 fans from Switzerland.
Finals
The final was also played as a two-legged match. Home ice advantage of the second game went to the ZSC Lions which had the better record in the group stage. As in the semi-finals, the Lions were forced to play their home game in RapperswilRapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
in an arena with only half the capacity of the Hallenstadion
Hallenstadion
The Hallenstadion is a multi-purpose facility, in the Swiss city of Zurich.Designed by Bruno Giacometti, it opened on July 18, 1939, and was renovated in 2005....
in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. Thus, the game in the Diners Club Arena was sold out within 30 minutes, leaving many fans without a ticket for the most important game in their clubs history..
The ZSC Lions became the first-ever Swiss team to win a major European club competition by winning the Champions Hockey League in its inaugural season. After a 2–2 in Magnitogorsk, the ZSC Lions won the return game against Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5–0 to dethrone the 2008 European club champion.
ZSC goaltender Ari Sulander was named Champions Hockey League MVP and was the first to hoist the Silver Stone Trophy..
| Champions Hockey League 2008–09 Winners |
|---|
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| ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... First Title |
Scoring leaders
List shows the top skaters sorted by points, then goals. If the list exceeds 5 skaters because of a tie in points, all of the tied skaters are shown.| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
8 | 4 | 9 | 13 | +1 | 2 |
| |
ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
8 | 1 | 12 | 13 | +4 | 4 |
| |
ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
8 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| |
ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | +8 | 0 |
| Jan Marek |
Metallurg Magnitogorsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League... |
8 | 3 | 7 | 10 | +7 | 14 |
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source: IIHF.com
02:45, 24 May 2010 (UTC)
Leading goaltenders
Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 40% of their team's minutes are included in this list.| Player | Team | TOI | SA | GA | GAA | Sv% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandr Eremenko Alexandr Eremenko Alexander Vladimirovich Eremenko , is a Russian ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Dynamo Moscow in the KHL.-Career:Alexander Eremenko started his pro career in 1999 with the Russian hockey team THK Tver... |
Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev is a professional ice hockey team based in Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. They are members of the Chernyshev Division of the Kontinental Hockey League, and were part of Group C of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League.-History:The... |
280:00 | 138 | 7 | 1.50 | 95.17 | 0 |
| Ilya Proskuryakov Ilya Proskuryakov Ilya Proskuryakov is a goaltender currently playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey League.- Playing career :Ilya Proskuryakov began his professional career in 2003, playing with Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk of the Russian Hockey First League... |
Metallurg Magnitogorsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League... |
478:29 | 218 | 15 | 1.88 | 93.56 | 1 |
| Ari Sulander Ari Sulander Ari Sulander, also nicknamed Sulo , is a professional ice hockey goaltender.-Career in Finland:... |
ZSC Lions ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 10,700 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon... |
480:00 | 224 | 17 | 2.13 | 92.95 | 1 |
 Bernd BrücklerBernd Brückler Bernd Brückler is an Austrian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.- Draft :... |
Espoo Blues Espoo Blues The Blues are an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Espoo, Finland at the Barona Areena.-Team history:The club was established in February 1984 as Kiekko-Espoo and played their first season in 1984-1985 in the Finnish Second Division... |
299:09 | 126 | 10 | 2.01 | 92.65 | 1 |
| Rob Zepp Rob Zepp Robert Zepp is a Canada-born German professional ice hockey goaltender. He currently plays for Eisbären Berlin of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga professional hockey league.-Playing career:... |
SC Bern SC Bern Schlittschuh Club Bern is an ice hockey team based in Bern, Switzerland. The club was the most attended team in Europe for the 2010-11 season, averaging 15,856 spectators.... |
240:00 | 87 | 10 | 2.50 | 89.69 | 0 |
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s
Source: IIHF.com
Updated: 02:48, 24 May 2010 (UTC)