New season begins July 31

The last day of July seems to be the start of the 2012-13 hockey season, at least in the Czech Republic.

Action from last year's European Trophy, featuring Sparta

Praha against Linkoping. Europeantrophy.com.

The last day of July sees the first game of the 2012 European Trophy, and it will be hosted by the Czech Extraliga's newest team, Piráti Chomutov, against Slovan Bratislava. Just as last year, seven Czech clubs will compete in the 32-team tournament, with Piráti taking the place of Slavia Praha. The other six are Sparta Praha, Bílí Tygři Liberec, Pardubice, České Budějovice, Plzeň 1929 and Kometa Brno.

What began as a pre-season tournament for Scandinavian clubs, the European Trophy has grown in size and stature over the past few years, to the extent where last season teams were refusing to relinquish players to their respective national teams so they could compete for the championship. This season, more of the tournament has been scheduled into the traditional international breaks, and it is assumed players will stick with their club teams then as well. In recent IIHF-led discussions about the future of club hockey in Europe, one of the speculated scenarios had the competition grow into a full-out international league.

The top eight teams will play in the Red Bull Salute, December 15 to 18 in Bratislava and Vienna. The full tournament schedule can be seen here. Last season, three Czech teams were among the final eight.

The last day of July also sees the first-ever exhibition game for the first Czech-based club to compete in the Kontinental Hockey League: Lev Praha. They kick off their 10-game pre-season schedule on Tuesday night at Svijanská Arena in Liberec against Rytíři Kladno at 17:30 CET. The Lions then take on host Bílí Tygři in a cat fight on Thursday night.

Jaroslav Svoboda shoots on Drew MacIntyre at Lev Praha's

first training camp. Photo: Vladimír Jína, levpraha.cz.

A similarly-named club based in Poprad, Slovakia competed in the KHL last season, and this edition of HC Lev has a few returnees, including captain Ľuboš Bartečko along with defenceman Jiří Hunkes and forwards Juraj Mikúš and Jiří Sekáč. Other notable names include goaltender Tomáš Pöpperle, defenceman Michal Sersen and forward Tomáš Rachůnek, who all played last season for Sparta, as well as ex-NHLers Tomáš Mojžíš, Marcel Hossa, Erik Christensen, Jiří Novotný, Michal Řepík and Jaroslav Svoboda.

The team's pre-season roster and schedule are available now at the Czech version of the club website; the English version should be online within a week.

And then there were none: Czech teams swept out of RBS quarters

With three teams in the field of eight at the Red Bulls Salute, there was a decent chance of a Czech team winning the 2011 European Trophy, or at least qualifying for the finals. Instead, all three lost their quarterfinal match-ups and will now battle for fifth to eighth places. České Budějovice was blown out by Jokerit Helsinki, while Plzeň and Pardubice both lost close ones.

Pardubice goaltender Martin Růžička had a lot of traffic to deal
with in Salzburg. GEPA-Pictures, redbull.com. 

In the early game in Vienna, the South Bohemian club which plays under the corporate name Mountfield stayed close for one period. After Ben Eaves opened the scoring early for Jokerit, Jiří Šimánek tied it on a rebound after goaltender Frans Tuohimaa had stopped Pavel Kašpářik on a breakaway but was unable to freeze the puck. Less than two minutes later, however, Antti Kerälä put the Finnish club back in front to stay. Not even the goaltending of Jakub Kovář, who was kept off the Czech national team this weekend, could help his team's cause. Three goals in the first half of the second period put it away, and the game eventually finished 7-2.

In the latter two games, which ran concurrently, HC Plzeň 1929 took on Swedish club Luleå HF in Vienna and HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice played an EC Red Bull squad that was on its home ice in Salzburg.

Plzeň fell behind 1-0 in the second, then got an equalizing goal on a blast from Jan Kovář early in the third period. After killing off a late penalty, captain Martin Straka got a chance to win it on a breakaway in the dying seconds. However, the combination of chasing down the puck and trying to get his shot off in time caused him to lose his balance and the save was a relatively easy one for David Rautio. After a scoreless five-minute overtime period, the game was decided in a shootout.  Luleå's second shooter, Johan Harju, scored the only goal, one which goaltender Adam Svoboda actually re-directed into his own net. Rautio stopped all three shots he faced to vault his team into the semi-finals.

Pardubice was the Czech Republic's last chance to be represented in the tournament's final four, but they fell 2-1 to the host team. All the scoring was done in a five-minute span late in the second period. Petr Koukal scored Pardubice's lone goal, but Tyler Redenbach scored the game-winner with 1:25 to go in the middle frame. Late in the third, Martin Růžička was pulled for a sixth attacker, but the Czech visitors were unable to beat goaltender Marty Turco.

Saturday's semifinal match-ups will be Jokerit against Luleå and Salzburg against Linköpings HC, who beat fellow Swedish club Frölunda in the other quarterfinal. In placement games, Frölunda plays Pardubice in Salzburg, while Plzeň and Budějovice play each other in Vienna.

Red Bulls Salute on TV

The quarterfinals of the Red Bulls Salute, the playoff round to determine the winner of the 2011 European Trophy, will be played on Friday night and Czech fans will be able to see two of their teams on television. The two games from Vienna, Jokerit-České Budějovice and Plzeň-Luleå, will be televised live on Sport1 at 17:15 and 20:30, respectively. A third Czech team, Pardubice takes on the host Red Bull Salzburg team at 20:30; apparently, it will receive no domestic television coverage.

Sport1 will also carry both semifinal games on Saturday, and the third-place and championship games on Sunday.

Besides the Czech Republic, the Sport1 broadcasts will also be available in Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. ServusTV carries games in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, while Viasat is televising the action to the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Fans in Finland can watch on MTV3. It should be noted that these other carriers will likely choose the quarterfinal games that are most appealing in their regions.

All games will be streamed live online on laola1.tv and servustv.com. Unfortunately for Pardubice fans, these webcasts will be blacked out in the Czech Republic, as well as all countries that receive the Sport1, Viasat or MTV3 telecasts, to protect the television rightsholders. Other than making the five-hour drive south to Salzburg, the best these fans can do is receive online updates and hope for a win, which would mean they could watch their team play on Saturday and Sunday.

Red Bulls Salute Schedule:

Friday, December 16:

17:15 Jokerit Helsinki - HC Mountfield České Budějovice (quarterfinal, Vienna), Sport1

17:15 Frölunda Indians - Linköpings HC (quarterfinal, Salzburg)

20:30 HC Plzeň 1929 - Luleå HF (quarterfinal, Vienna), Sport1

20:30 HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice - EC Red Bull Salzburg (quarterfinal, Salzburg)

Saturday, December 17:

17:15 Losers of quarterfinals in Salzburg (qualification, Salzburg)

17:15 Winners of quarterfinals in Vienna (semifinal, Vienna), Sport1

20:30 Winners of quarterfinals in Salzburg (semifinal, Salzburg), Sport1

20:30 Losers of quarterfinals in Vienna (qualification, Vienna)

Sunday, December 18:

14:00 Losers of qualification games (7th/8th place, Salzburg)

17:15 Winners of qualification games (5th/6th place, Salzburg),

17:15 Losers of semifinal games (3rd/4th place, Vienna), Sport1

20:30 Winners of semifinal games (championship game, Vienna), Sport1

APK meeting: No Slovak teams next year, clubs request full rosters for December tournaments

At Thursday's meeting of the Association of Professional Clubs (APK), the board that governs the Czech Extraliga had a couple of important issues to discuss. One was over a club's right to retain players from the national team, as some clubs are in a dispute with the national team about conflicting tournaments in December. The other was about who will play in the Extraliga next year, as two Slovak clubs have recently requested entry. The only thing that has been decided for certain is that there will be no change next season; there will be no expansion and no Slovak teams in 2012-13.

Plzeň 1929 (blue) and Slovan Bratislava (white) at the European
Trophy in August. They won't face each other on the 2012-13
Czech Extraliga schedule. Photo: Milan Podpera, hcplzen.cz.

"We need more time to evaluate whether it makes sense to expand the league," said Karlovy Vary general manager Miroslav Vaňek. Not only were Slovak clubs from Bratislava and Košice seeking entry for next season, but also Czech First League clubs in Chomutov and Ústí nad Labem. The feeling among existing teams seemed to be that this is an issue worth considering, but there were too many issues that have to be ironed out to make it go smoothly, and there simply wasn't enough time to make it happen in time for next season.

"If we decide that this will have a financial benefit for us, and bring in larger crowds, well then let's do it. But we had to decide quickly and we didn't have enough time for it. In the long term, I think that the globalisation of the league will be difficult to avoid."

With so many clubs wanting to join the Extraliga, some are concerned with the number of teams that would end up in the league. "We keep hearing that we need to improve the quality and possibly reduce the number of teams in the Extraliga," said Pardubice general manger Zbyněk Kusý. "Now to accommodate these teams we would have to expand to 16, 18 or 20 teams. I don't think that's the direction we want to go in."

Kusý also said that there was some discussion about the concern of his and other clubs who will be participating in tournaments in December to be able to utilise their full rosters. Pardubice, Plzeň and České Budějovice will all be playing in the Red Bulls Salute, the playoff round to determine the 2011 European Trophy, from December 16 to 18. The national team plays the Channel One Cup that same weekend in Chomutov and Moscow, and they want to bring with them some of the top players from these clubs. As well, Vítkovice plays in the Spengler Cup after Christmas, and therefore has re-scheduled a regular season game for that weekend. Another meeting for next Wednesday, involving all concerned parties, has been scheduled.

"An official standard is needed that will somehow be respected by all parties," he said. "Everything is evolving and the contract will need to be continually upgraded with respect to other associations and leagues."

Kusy and the representatives of other participating teams are taking the European Trophy seriously, and are concerned that they will be stripped of their best players without being able to replace them, while clubs from other countries will apparently be coming at full strength. The national team, meanwhile, has a large field of players to choose from, for a tournament that is little more than an opportunity to audition for roster spots for the World Championships in the spring. Among the players that are likely to be selected are Pardubice captain Petr Koukal and Budějovice starting goaltender Jakub Kovář.

Some have suggested that the European Trophy, which this season involved 24 clubs from six European leagues who each played eight-game pre-season schedules against each other, could eventually evolve into a pan-European league that will be the highest level of hockey on the continent, potentially rivaling the KHL and NHL for top talent. Therefore, Kusý believes it's important for the Czech teams to perform well, and for  national governing bodies not to be dismissive of the tournament.

"In my opinion, this new European tournament could evolve into something very important and how well Czech teams do could affect our participation in future European competitions." he said. "If I have the right information, all teams (from other countries) are going at full strength. Everyone told me it is a prestigious tournament for them, so they're going in full force."

At the meeting, the league also discussed the possibility of bringing in a salary cap in order to control costs.

National team and clubs dispute over players for December tournaments

It's not often that European hockey clubs and national teams dispute over the availability of the players. In contrast with North America, where the NHL is king, wearing the national colours in Europe has always taken priority and, normally, domestic leagues shut down for international tournaments. However, on the third weekend in December, there are international and club tournaments scheduled to operate at the same time, and Otakar Duben of ceskatelevize.cz is reporting that some of the Czech clubs involved have made it clear that they intend to take their full rosters.

Alois Hadamczik might not have all the players he wants in
Chomutov and Moscow. Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ceskatelevize.cz.

From December 15 to 18, the Channel One Cup, which is the second leg of the 2011-12 Euro Hockey Tour, will be held in Moscow. It features the national teams of Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. That same weekend, the Red Bulls Salute, the playoff round to determine the winner of the 2011 European Trophy, will be held in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria. Among the quarter-finalists that have advanced from the pre-season tournament are one team each from Austria and Finland, three from Sweden, and three Czech clubs: České Budějovice, Pardubice, and Plzeň.

At the recently completed Karjala Cup in Finland, the Czech roster included goaltender Jakub Kovář and forward Aleš Kotalík of České Budějovice and forward Petr Koukal of Pardubice. It appears that they might not be there the next time.

"I have a responsibility to the owners, partners and fans (of the Pardubice club)," said general manager Zbyněk Kusy. "I cannot let an elite player miss a top club event and replace him with somebody from the First League." Meanwhile, Budějovice's general manger, Josef Zajíc said, "If Kovář is going to be used as a back-up as he was at the Karjala, it will be better for him to play the tournament in Austria."

National team coach Alois Hadamczik, for one, is aghast that some clubs are threatening to withhold players from the national team for what he considers to be an inferior tournament. "If someone would rather play in a third-rate tournament, that's pretty sad. To argue that the European Trophy is more beneficial to the player than games with Russia, Sweden and Finland? Those are far more important confrontations."

Kusy told newspaper Sport that the issue has already been settled, claiming "(National team general manager) Slavomír Lener announced to the APK that the European Trophy finalists will have all their players and they will not be selected for the Channel One Cup."

Lener, however, claims that he did not make such a promise, and that ultimately Hadamczik is free to choose the team he wishes. As for who he will choose, Hadamczik says, "I have a moral obligation to select who I think are the best players available."

Making the dispute more interesting to Czech hockey fans might be the fact that one of the opening games of the Channel One Cup will be played in Chomutov. The North Bohemian city's brand new arena will play host to the Czech Republic-Sweden game on December 15.

The Finnish and Swedish rosters might also be affected by this conflict, as they both have players on their national teams that are in the Red Bulls Salute. From Finland's Karjala Cup roster, defenceman Ossi Väänänen plays for Jokerit, forward Topi Jaakola plays for Luleå, and forward Mika Pyörälä plays for Frölunda. From Sweden, goaltender Johan Gustafsson and forwards Simon Hjalmarsson and Johan Harju play for Luleå, defenceman Klas Dahlbeck and forward Andreas Jämti play for Linköpings, and defenceman Christian Bäckman plays for Frölunda. The fact that two Finns play for Swedish clubs involved could complicate things further.

It remains to be seen how Czech television handles the concurrent tournaments. ČT4 normally shows most Euro Hockey Tour games, and all games involving the Czech Republic. However, they also televised several European Trophy games in August and September, and it would seem odd to ignore the playoff portion of the tournament with three Czech teams involved.

Here is the schedule for the Channel One Cup (all times are Central European):

Thursday, December 15:

17:00 Russia - Finland (Moscow)

18:20 Czech Republic - Sweden (Chomutov)

Saturday, December 17:

11:00 Russia - Sweden (Moscow)

15:00 Czech Republic - Finland (Moscow)

Sunday, December 18:

11:00 Russia - Czech Republic (Moscow)

15:00 Sweden - Finland (Moscow)

And here is the schedule for the Red Bulls Salute:

Friday, December 16:

17:15 Jokerit Helsinki - HC České Budějovice (quarterfinal, Vienna)

17:15 Frölunda Indians - Linköpings HC (quarterfinal, Salzburg)

20:30 HC Plzeň 1929 - Luleå HF (quarterfinal, Vienna)

20:30 HC Pardubice - EC Red Bull Salzburg (quarterfinal, Salzburg)

Saturday, December 17:

17:15 Winners of quarterfinals in Vienna (semifinal, Vienna)

17:15 Winners of quarterfinals in Salzburg (semifinal, Salzburg)

20:30 Losers of quarterfinals in Vienna (qualification, Vienna)

20:30 Losers of quarterfinals in Salzburg (qualification, Salzburg)

Sunday, December 18:

14:00 Losers of qualification games (7th/8th place, Salzburg)

17:15 Winners of qualification games (5th/6th place, Salzburg)

17:15 Losers of semifinal games (3rd/4th place, Vienna)

20:30 Winners of semifinal games (championship game, Vienna)

3 Czech teams in Red Bull Salute

Teams from the Czech Extraliga have acquitted themselves well so far at the 2011 European Trophy. Heading into the final weekend of play, Plzeň 1929 and Pardubice had already clinched spots among the final eight. On Saturday night, České Budějovice joined them, beating Kometa Brno 3-1.

Jakub Kovář has been nearly unbeatable in the Budějovice goal.
Photo: Roman Kantor, hc-kometa.cz.

"I think that is was very good preparation," said Budějovice assistant coach Milan Kupka. "The key for us was surviving the first penalty and scoring the first goal. And of course, we were also helped by a great performance from our goalkeeper."

Great performances from the goalkeeper have become commonplace in České Budějovice. Last season, Jakub Kovář was voted the top goaltender in the Czech Extraliga and earned a spot on the Czech national team. This year, he has so far played in all seven of his club's games at the European Trophy and surrendered only 12 goals. His 1.63 goals-against average and .940 are the best in the tournament among goaltenders that have appeared in more than four games.

Bílí Tygři Liberec entered the weekend with an outside shot of advancing, but dropped both games on home ice and will finish fifth in the South Division. On Saturday, they were finished when they lost 3-2 to Luleå HF. Then on Sunday, they were edged 5-4 by Eisbären Berlin in the last game for both teams.

Slavia Praha also played its last game of the tournament on Sunday in Mannheim. Though they were locked in last place in the North Division, they had a chance to play spoilers against Adler, who could have advanced to the Red Bull Salute with a win. Slavia picked up just its second win of the tournament, however, knocking Adler out with a 5-3 win. They were led by 3 goals and 1 assist from Tomáš Svoboda, whose 4-point effort gives him 9 for the tournament; tied for sixth in overall scoring.

The game was a rough affair, in which 290 minutes in penalties were racked up by both teams. The final few minutes were marred by multiple fights in which resulted in the banishments of Jiří Vašiček,  Michal Poletin and Dmitrij Jaškin of Slavia.

The melée at the end of the game was captured by a few fans in Mannheim, who posted their videos to youtube:

 

There are still two more games to be played in the group stage of the European Trophy on Tuesday. They both involve only Czech teams, but neither will have any effect on who adances to the Red Bull Salute. Sparta Praha visits České Budějovice and Pardubice visits Plzeň. Plzeň can still eclipse Budějovice in points and finish atop the division, but both teams will advance, regardless.

The Red Bull Salute will be played December 16 to 18 in Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. It is a three-round single-knockout involving eight teams. This is the schedule, which will be finalised after Tuesday's games:

Friday, December 16:
17:15 Jokerit Helsinki - Plzeň / České Budějovice (quarterfinal, Vienna)
17:15 Frölunda Indians - Linköpings HC (quarterfinal, Salzburg)
20:30 Plzeň / České Budějovice - Luleå HF (quarterfinal, Vienna)
20:30 HC Pardubice - EC Red Bull Salzburg (quarterfinal, Salzburg)

Saturday, December 17:
17:15 Winners of quarterfinals in Vienna (semifinal, Vienna)
17:15 Winners of quarterfinals in Salzburg (semifinal, Salzburg)
20:30 Losers of quarterfinals in Vienna (qualification, Vienna)
20:30 Losers of quarterfinals in Salzburg (qualification, Salzburg)

Sunday, December 18:
14:00 Losers of qualification games (7th/8th place, Salzburg)
17:15 Winners of qualification games (5th/6th place, Salzburg)
17:15 Losers of semifinal games (3rd/4th place, Vienna)
20:30 Winners of semifinal games (championship game, Vienna)

Pardubice advances, Č-Bud close

Thursday was a good day for two Czech teams in European Trophy competition, but not so good for a third.

HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice had the easiest night, as they clinched a spot in the Red Bull Salute without even stepping onto the ice. HV71's 2-0 loss to Färjestads means that the Swedish club in third place in the South Division can no longer catch Pardubice. As the top two teams in each division advance, Pardubice is in.

They could have actually clinched first place in the group, but Adler Mannheim stayed within striking distance by winning 3-1 in Liberec. The visitors from Baden-Württemberg scored a goal in each of the first two periods, then held off a barrage from Bílí Tygři over the final 30 minutes. Tomáš Vak beat goaltender Patrick Galbraith with 13:11 on the clock, but that's as close as they'd come. An empty-netter sealed the deal.

"We didn't get the start that we wanted from the players. The intensity wasn't there for the whole game," said coach Filip Pešán. "We got back to the game plan after that, but we didn't deserve to win."

The loss does not mathematically eliminate Bílí Tygři, but it really puts them in a tight spot. Had they won, they would have moved into a second-place tie with HV71 with a game in hand.

Budějovice's Aleš Kranjc (#38) battles for the puck with
Salzburg's Steven Regier in European Trophy action Thursday.
Photo: redbulls.com/hockey. 

Meanwhile, HC Mountfield České Budějovice did themselves a huge favour by going into Salzburg and defeating Red Bull 6-4. Leading 3-2 after two periods, the visitors from South Bohemia outscored Salzburg 3-2 in a wild third period to take the game. Milan Gulaš assisted on the game's opening goal, then scored the game-winner in the 53rd minute and added an empty netter to record a 3-point night.

With the win, Budějovice has put itself into a great position to make a return trip to Salzburg in December. They now sit in second place in the East Division, 2 points ahead of Slovan Bratislava with a game in hand. They also have a game in hand on division-leading Plzeň, who are 2 points ahead and have already secured a spot in the Red Bull Salute. They have a chance to clinch on Saturday, when they travel to Brno to take on Kometa. A win will put them through, as will a loss by Slovan, who play their final game of the tournament that night in Helsinki against Jokerit.

Plzeň clinches spot in Red Bull Salute, Pardubice on the verge

Two Czech teams at opposite ends of the European Trophy spectrum clashed on Wednesday night at Prague's Eden Arena. The visitors from Plzeň came into the contest with an opportunity to clinch a spot in the Red Bull Salute--an eight-team single-knockout competition that will take place in December in Austria. Host Slavia Praha, meanwhile, was way out of contention and saw the game as nothing more than preparation for the approaching Extraliga season.

Petr Sýkora. Photo: hcplzen.cz.

Plzeň led 2-1 after 40 minutes, but Vladimír Růžička Jr. tied the game in the first minute of the third period, then Tomáš Kůrka put Slavia ahead with 10:20 to play. Both goals were assisted by Petr Kadlec, who now has 5 points in seven games, which ties him for second in tournament scoring among defencemen. Petr Sýkora then tied the game with just over seven minutes on the clock, and a pair of Plzeň goals in quick succession put the game away for the visitors from West Bohemia; 5-3 was the final.

For Plzeň, the line of Jaroslav Hlinka, Ondřej Kratěna and Pavel Mrňa scored three of their goals, all at even strength. All three players are summer acquisitions for Plzeň, and all are products of the Sparta Praha organisation. "We came here to win," said Kratěna after the game. On his linemates, whom he is familiar with from their Sparta days, he said, "Jarda is the kind of player who you really can't put a price on, and Pavel is very studious, fits in well with us."

The other two were power-play markers by Sýkora, both assisted by Martin Straka. Straka, who turns 39 on Saturday, is now tied for third place in tournament scoring with 8 points.

The win means that Plzeň becomes the first team to qualify for the Red Bull Salute, as they are now 4 points clear of second-place Slovan Bratislava, who have only one game left. Third-place Mountfield České Budějovice could still catch them, as they are 5 points back but still have three games to play. With two games in hand on Slovan, Mountfield is in a good position to take the East Division's second playoff spot.

On Thursday, Mountfield will make up one of those games when they travel to Salzburg to take on Red Bull, while Bílí Tygři Liberec hosts Adler Mannheim in an important South Division match-up.

While they have not mathematically clinched a spot in the Red Bull Salute yet, HC Pojišťovna Pardubice has one all but wrapped up and can secure it on Thursday, even though they are idle. If Mannheim concedes a point to Liberec or HV71 concedes 2 at Färjestads, they're in. They just need Mannheim to get fewer than 6 points over their final two games,  HV71 to get fewer than 5 points over their final two games, or failing that pick up a single point in their last game at Plzeň on Tuesday. Any one of those scenarios will help Pardubice join Plzeň in the Elite Eight.

To that end, Liberec can aid Pardubice's hopes on Thursday with a win, but helping their countrymen is the furthest thing from their mind. Liberec only trails Mannheim by a pair of points and can leap-frog over them and into a second-place tie with HV71 with a win.

Mountfield's game in Salzburg can be seen streaming online, starting at 19:15 CET at europeantrophy.com/livesalzburg.php.

Complete tournament standings and statistics can be found here.

The tournament schedule, with live commentary on games in progress and summaries of completed games, can be found here.

Plzeň & Mountfield battle for group's top spot

While some Czech teams have struggled in European Trophy competition, others have flourished. EuropeanTrophy.com's Per Csongrádi examines the fortunes of two clubs, HC Plzeň 1929 and HC Mountfield České Budějovice, who are currently poised to take the top two spots in the East Division and advance to the Red Bull Salute:

Plzeň (white) and Mountfield (red) battling in their European Trophy

opener in České Budějovice on August 12. Photo: František Panec,
hokejcb.cz. 

Plzeň took over the top of the table on Sunday after defeating Finnish team Tappara 4–0 at home and are in a good position to go through, having two games left to play. ”We look to be in one of the two top positions when we sum up the group, but it is still a tough battle between three, or even four teams, as to which teams will make it to the play-off,” says Plzeň forward Tomáš Vlasák.

Plzen could have been in an even stronger position had they won Saturday's game at home to Slovan Bratislava, a game the Slovaks won in a penalty shootout. That win handed them a lifeline in the race for a place in Salzburg and Vienna mid-December.

But after having won their first four games in the tournament, all four played at home in Bratislava where they picked up 11 out of a possible 12 points, the Slovaks have struggled to repeat those performances away from home. Now they have a tough task ahead of them if they are to pick up the necessary points to finish in the top-two. They play Jokerit away in their only remaining game of the tournament.

And it might not even be enough with a win in Helsinki. The second Czech team in the division, HC Mountfield, is only 1 point behind Slovan Bratislava having played two games less and having recorded a vital win at home to Slovan Bratislava (2–1) last Thursday. Mountfield now have four straight wins after losing the opening game to Plzeň in overtime, and are feeling good about themselves heading into their last three games. ”We are very pleased with the way that we have played so far and we hope we can pick up a few more points, enough to secure a place in the playoff,” says defenceman Jan Novák.

Plzeň and Mountfield must be considered favourites to take the top two spots. They are the only two teams in the tournament that haven’t lost a game after 60 minutes so far.

If they start picking up some points, Finnish side KalPa still has a remote chance of advancing. KalPa also have three games left, but probably have to win all three in order to have any chance of reaching the Red Bull Salute.

Fellow Finns Oulun Kärpät also have 8 points, but only have one game left and no chance of reaching the playoff. The same applies to Vienna Capitals with 4 points and only one game left.

Stats and schedule:


1. HC Plzeň 1929 – 14 points (21–10)
Remaining games: 31/8: Slavia Praha (a), 6/9: HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice (h).


2. Slovan Bratislava – 13 points (23–13)
Remaining game: 3/9: Jokerit (a).


3. HC Mountfield – 12 points (13–7)
Remaining games: 1/9: Red Bull Salzburg (a), 3/9: Kometa Brno (a), 6/9: Sparta Praha (h).


4. KalPa – 8 points (10–12)
Remaining games: 31/8: Oulun Kärpät (h), 3/9: Frölunda Indians (a), 4/9: HV71 (a).


5. Oulun Kärpät – 8 points (17–20)
Remaining game: 31/8: KalPa (a).


6. Vienna Capitals – 4 points (14–28)
Remaining game: 3/9: HIFK (a).

More information on the tournament is available at EuropeanTrophy.com.

4 Czech teams still in contention for European Trophy

All teams were in action on Saturday in the European Trophy, as positioning starts to become clearer. Most teams have now played six of their eight games, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the Red Bull Salute in December.

Prague's two teams did little to help their causes, each losing on home ice to cement their positions at the bottom of the North Division. At Tesla Arena, Sparta was scored on four times in the second period and fell 4-2 to visiting Jokerit Helsinki. The Finnish club was particularly dominant during a 10-minute stretch in the second where Sparta failed to register a shot on goal, and had numerous chances of their own to build up a commanding lead. Sparta came back strong in the third and scored twice, but it was too little, too late. Meanwhile, across town in Eden, Slavia and Helsinki IFK went to a shootout tied 2-2, where Mikael Granlund provided the heroics for the visitors. No stranger to providing highlight-reel goals, Granlund beat goaltender Dominik Furch with a move similar to the one used by Peter Forsberg in the 1994 Olympics to secure the victory.

Four other Czech teams in action on Saturday, however, are still in contention for positions in the Red Bull Salute, the eight-team event in Austria that will determine the winner of the European Trophy.

In České Budějovice, Jakub Kovář made 18 saves as Mountfield shut out the Vienna Capitals 4-0. The win allowed them to leap-frog over Plzeň 1929 into second place in the East Division. Plzeň picked up only a single point as they fell to visiting Slovan Bratislava 5-4 in a shootout. The home team trailed 4-1 midway through the game before scoring three in a row to force overtime. They were led in a losing cause by two goals from Radek Duda and two assists each from Martin Straka and Petr Sýkora. As Mountfield and Plzeň each have two games in hand on division-leading Slovan, they could both conceivably qualify for the Red Bull Salute.

HC Pardubice sits in top spot in the South Division with 12 points, two ahead of HV71 and three ahead of Adler Mannheim. This comes after beating rival Kometa Brno 5-4. Martin Bartek scored the game-winner with 2:07 remaining in regulation time. Pardubice and HV71 each have two games remaining, while Mannheim has three. The loss relegates Kometa to last in the division with five points.

Bílí Tygři Liberec sits in fourth place in the South with seven points, but remain in contention because they have two games in hand on most other teams. They helped their cause on Saturday night by taking two points in Linkoping, with veteran Petr Nedvěd scoring the shootout winner.

Liberec is back in action on Sunday in Oulu against Kärpät, while Plzeň, Brno and Pardubice all host Finnish clubs. The Kometa Brno-Jokerit Helsinki game can be seen at 18:00 CET on ČT4 or online at ct24.cz/sport. All games can be followed live online at europeantrophy.com/schedule.php.

A Good night for Czech teams

by Per Csongrádi
EuropeanTrophy.com

Thursday night was a good night for the Czech teams in the European Trophy. Five of the Czech teams were in action. Four of them won. And HC Mountfield České Budějovice and HC Plzeň 1929 applied a lot of preassure on Slovan Bratislava at the top of the East Division.

Slovan looked very strong at the start of the tournament when they picked up 11 points out of a possible 12 in their first four games. But all of those four games were played at home in the Slovak capital of Bratislava.
Thursday night they travelled to Budejovice and for the second game in a row suffered a defeat as the hometeam, HC Mountfield, won the game 2–1.

Mountfield showed from the first face-off that they were intent on grabbing the chance to catch Slovan Bratislava at the top of the table. The homeside came out flying and was in complete control of the first period. They won the shots 22–5 and even played 5-on-3 for over a minute. But it wasn’t until only 1:12 remained in the period that the first goal came. Pavel Kasparik won a faceoff and Jan Novák fired the puck past Branislav Konrad in the Slovan goal.

The home side created the most and the best chances in the second period as well and also took a 2–0-lead on a power play when, once again, Novak shot from the blueline. This time, man-of-the-match Konrad saved the shot, but couldn’t prevent Jakub Langhammer from scoring on the rebound.

But Slovan bounced back quickly when team captain Michal Hudec, who spent five seasons playing for the Budějovice team, cut the lead in half only 27 seconds after the second goal for the home team, to set up an interesting last 20 minutes.

The expected push for an equalizer didn’t really come, though, and despite playing 3-on-5 and despite Slovan pulling Konrad in goal with a minute and a half left, Mountfield could hold on to the lead and the three points.

The result put them only two points behind Slovan with two games in hand.

Radek Duda's 2-point effort helped Plzeň beat

Vienna 3-1 on Thursday. Photo:  isport.blesk.cz.

The result also gave compatriots HC Plzeň 1929 the chance to close the gap to one point at the top of the division if they managed to defeat Vienna Capitals at home. And that was exactly what they did. After a goalless first period, Petr Sýkora opened the scoring in the second, assisted by Radek Duda on a power play. The lead was doubled when Sýkora returned the favor and Duda scored on another power play early in the third period.

A third power-play goal on the night cut the lead in half, when Jonathan Ferland made it 2–1, but Plzeň didn’t let the Austrians any closer and with nine seconds left, Tomáš Vlasák made sure of the win when he scored a third in the empty net.

”We have a big desire to win, no matter who we play and I think we ade our fans happy today” said Duda after the game. ”On the other side, we can do things better and we hope we can prove that in the next game.” That is the very important game at home against Slovan Bratislava on Saturday. A win there will put Plzeň top of the division and in a nice position to qualify for the Red Bull Salute. A defeat can be costly.

In the North Division, top of the table Djurgården has no games this week, giving the chasing teams the possibility to make up some ground on them. Finnish Jokerit took that chance and defeated Slavia Praha 4–2 in a game that was won in two minutes and two seconds towards the end of the first period. Teemu Pulkkinen, Jeremy Dehner and Janne Lahti scored a goal each to make it 3–0 to Jokerit. The team from Prague never really recovered from those blows.

”We need to pick up maximum points from the three games this week in order to really challenge for a place in the playoff” said Jokerit coach Erkka Westerlund before the trip to the Czech Republic. The first three are in the bag and Jokerit advanced into second place of the division since their Finnish compatriots Helsinki IFK lost their game also played in the Czech capital.

HIFK, unbeaten so far with eight points out of a possible nine before Thursdays game opened the scoring 1:55 into the second period and was the better of the two teams in the opening two periods. But Sparta turned the game around in the third period, with one goal from Peter Jánský and one from Petr Tenkrat. Jerry Antola looked to have salvaged a point from HIFK late in the third period, but another strike from Tenkrat gave Sparta a glimmer of hope of finding a way into the Red Bull Salute. But in order to keep that hope alive, they need a win against Jokerit on Saturday.

Swedish Luleå, also kept a flicker of hope alive as two penalties gave them two points at home against Finnish side Oulun Kärpät. First, Johan Harju scored the goal the tied the game with a little over four minutes left on a penalty shot. Then Mattias Persson scored the gamewinning goal in the penalty shootout.

The South and West divisions look to be real tight when it comes to which teams will advance into the Red Bull Salute. The games on Thursday only made it even more uncertain in those two divisions.

In the South Adler Mannheim lost their 100-percent record when Linköping won 2–0 with two power-play goals from Mikael Håkanson and Niclas Hävelid. And in the same division Bílí Tygři Liberec kept HV71 scoreless as the Czechs won 3–0 away from home to close in on the other teams in the division, having only played three games so far.

All seven Czech teams are in action on Saturday night. Games can be followed live at EuropeanTrophy.com.

European Trophy starts Thursday

The European Trophy, a 24-team, six-nation pre-season tournament kicks off on Thursday, with three Czech teams in action against Swedish opponents.

Pardubice fans will get a chance to see Jan Hlaváč

suit up for visiting Linköpings on Thursday.

Photo:  hockey.expressen.se.

Two open at home: Sparta Praha hosts Jönköping-based HV71 at Tesla Arena, while cumbersomely-named ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice take to the ice at ČEZ Arena against Linköpings HC, whose roster includes ex-Sparta players Jan Hlaváč and Jaroslav Hlinka. Slavia Praha, meanwhile, travels to Stockholm to take on Djurgårdens IF.

"The players feel that this competition is on a different level. The European Trophy is something else," said Pardubice general manager Zbyněk Kusý, comparing the tournament to normal pre-season games. "I'm sure it will be something different than we were accustomed to when playing with a team from the Extraliga or First League, where the main goal before the season is to avoid injury. This will be more competitive, a chance to test ourselves against European clubs, so it will surely be an attractive sporting event."

For now, the European Trophy is only a pre-season tournament, but there are rumours that member clubs would like to see it grow into more. That could possibly mean as inter-league competition that would complement existing national leagues, or as an entirely separate entity that would become the top tier of hockey in Europe and compete with the Russian-based KHL for top talent.

The European Trophy is not affiliated with the IIHF. The sport's world governing body tried to re-launch the Champions Hockey League last season, but that attempt was aborted due to ongoing disputes with clubs and leagues over its 2009 termination.

More information, including the schedule and how to follow games live can be found at the tournament's website, europeantrophy.com.

Extraliga pre-season begins Thursday

After a seemingly short time off, the 14 teams that will compete in the Czech Extraliga will soon take to the ice in preparation for the 2011-12 season. Things kick off on Thursday night, with three Extraliga clubs in action. Bílí Tygři Liberec and Benzína Litvinov will face off against each other in Litvínov. Meanwhile, defending-champion Oceláři Třinec travels 120 kilometres to Olomouc, where they will take on the local 1st League club.

Next up, Kometa Brno will host KHL club SKA St. Petersburg on Monday, August 1, followed by six more teams hitting the ice the following day. For the visiting Russian club, Brno will be the second stop on a three-game Czech tour. They play against First-League club Hradec Králové on Thursday and then against Třinec on August 3 in Přerov, the hometown of SKA coach Miloš Riha. Slavia Praha will be the last team to get into the mix, opening their pre-season schedule on Thursday, August 4 against Liberec at Zimní stadion Eden in Prague's Vršovice district.

A good portion of the pre-season schedule will include games from the European Trophy, with seven Extraliga clubs playing eight games each. The 24-team, six-nation tournament begins on August 11, with Sparta Praha and ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice playing at home and Liberec and Slavia playing abroad.

The European Trophy isn't the only international tourament that Extraliga clubs will compete in this August, however. The same day the European Trophy begins, Třinec and PSG Zlín will begin play in the Rona Cup, a three-day event in Trenčín, Slovakia that will also include three Slovak clubs. Other tournaments that will happen in Slovakia include the Tatran Cup in Poprad, in which Vítkovice Steel will compete, and the Cassovia Cup in Košice, which will be Třinec's second tournament. Extraliga clubs will also compete in tournaments and series in Switzerland, Germany, and Croatia.

The final day of pre-season action will be September 9, with the Extraliga regular season beginning a week later, on September 16.

From hokej.cz, here is the pre-season schedule for 2011-12 Extraliga clubs:

HC Oceláři Třinec

28.7. at Olomouc (1st League)
3.8. St. Petersburg (KHL) at Přerov
10.8. Lev Poprad (KHL)
11.8. Trenčín (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
12.8. Košice (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
13.8. Nitra (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
18.8. Skalica (Slovak EL)
26.8. CSKA Moscow (KHL) Cassovia Hockey Cup at Košice, Slovakia 
27.8. Košice (Slovak EL) Cassovia Hockey Cup at Košice, Slovakia 
28.8. Lev Poprad (KHL) Cassovia Hockey Cup at Košice, Slovakia 
30.8. Zlín 
6.9. Trenčín (Slovak EL)
8.9. at Pardubice

HC Vítkovice Steel

2.8. at Olomouc (1st League)
4.8. France U23
5.8. Skalica (Slovak EL)
9.8. Lev Poprad (KHL)
11.8. Acroni Jesenice (EBEL)
16.8. Trenčín (Slovak EL)
19.8. Graz (EBEL) Tatranský pohár at Poprad, Slovakia
20.8. Lev Poprad (KHL) Tatranský pohár at Poprad, Slovakia
21.8. Placement game Tatranský pohár at Poprad, Slovakia
24.8. Davos (Swiss NLA) Industrie Cup at Lyss, Switzerland
26.8. Langnau (Swiss NLA) Industrie Cup at Lyss, Switzerland
27.8. Rapperswil-Jona (Swiss NLA) Industrie Cup at Lyss, Switzerland
2.9. Medveščak Zagreb (EBEL) Memoriál Ferdo Spajiče at Zagreb, Croatia
3.9. Munich (DEL) Memoriál Ferdo Spajiče at Zagreb, Croatia
4.9. Zug (Swiss NLA) Memoriál Ferdo Spajiče at Zagreb, Croatia
6.9. at Zlín
8.9. Zlín

HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice

4.8. at Hradec Králové (1st League)
11.8. Linköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
13.8. HV´71 Jönköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
18.8. at Liberec European Trophy
20.8. at Mannheim (German DEL) European Trophy
22.8. at Tappara Tampere (Finnish SML) European Trophy
27.8. Kometa Brno European Trophy
28.8. IFK Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
6.9. at Plzeň European Trophy
8.9. Třinec

HC Slavia Praha

4.8. Liberec 
11.8. at Djurgaarden (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
13.8. at Lulea (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
14.8. at TPS Turku (Finnish SML) European Trophy
19.8. Sparta Praha European Trophy 
25.8. Jokerit Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
27.8. IFK Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
31.8. Plzeň European Trophy
4.9. at Mannheim (German DEL) European Trophy
9.9. Most (1st League)

Bílí Tygři Liberec

28.7. at Litvínov
2.8. at Sparta Praha
4.8. at Slavia Praha

6.8. Kometa Brno European Trophy
18.8. Pardubice European Trophy
25.8. at HV´71 Jönköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
27.8. at Linköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
28.8. at Kärpät Oulu (Finnish SML) European Trophy
1.9. Mannheim (German DEL) European Trophy
3.9. Lulea (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
4.9. Eisbären Berlin (German DEL) European Trophy
9.9. at Sparta Praha European Trophy

PSG Zlín

11.8. Košice (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
12.8. Nitra (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
13.8. Trenčín (Slovak EL) Rona Cup at Trenčín, Slovakia
17.8. Karlovy Vary
23.8. Skalica (Slovak EL)
25.8. Nitra (Slovak EL)
30.8. at Třinec
1.9. at Skalica (Slovak EL)
6.9. Vítkovice
8.9. at Vítkovice

HC Mountfield České Budějovice

2.8. at Kladno
4.8. Třebíč (Slovak EL)
9.8. Kladno
12.8. Plzeň European Trophy
18.8. at Kuopio (Finnish SML) European Trophy
20.8. at Kärpät Oulu (Finnish SML) European Trophy
25.8. Slovan Bratislava (Slovak EL) European Trophy
27.8. Vienna Capitals (EBEL) European Trophy
1.9. at Salzburg (EBEL) European Trophy
3.9. at Kometa Brno European Trophy
6.9. Sparta Praha European Trophy
8.9. Martin (Slovak EL)

HC Benzina Litvínov

28.7. Liberec
4.8. Kladno
9.8. at Langnau (Swiss NLA)
10.8. Servette Geneva (Swiss NLA) Hockeyades at Le Sentier, Switzerland
11.8. Lugano (Swiss NLA) Hockeyades, Le Sentier at Switzerland
13.8. Placement game Hockeyades at Le Sentier, Switzerland
16.8. at Chomutov (1st League)
18.8. Mladá Boleslav
19.8. at Kladno
23.8. at Ústí nad Labem (1st League)
25.8. at Karlovy Vary
30.8. Ústí nad Labem (1st League)
1.9. at Mladá Boleslav
6.9. Benátky nad Jizerou (1st League)
8.9. Chomutov (1st League)

HC Plzeň 1929

3.8. at Mladá Boleslav
9.8. at Karlovy Vary
12.8. at České Budějovice European Trophy
18.8. at Kärpät Oulu (Finnish SML) European Trophy
20.8. at Kuopio (Finnish SML) European Trophy
25.8. Vienna Capitals (EBEL) European Trophy
27.8. Slovan Bratislava (Slovak EL) European Trophy
28.8. Tappara Tampere (Finnish SML) European Trophy
31.8. at Slavia Praha European Trophy
6.9. Pardubice European Trophy
8.9. Karlovy Vary

HC Energie Karlovy Vary

2.8. at Chomutov (1st League)
4.8. Kadaň (1st League)
9.8. Plzeň
11.8. Ústí nad Labem  (1st League)
14.8. Ufa (KHL)
16.8. at Skalica (Slovak EL)
17.8. at Zlín
18.8. at Nitra (Slovak EL)
19.8. at Linz (EBEL)
23.8. Chomutov (1st League)
25.8. Litvínov
1.9. at Davos (Swiss NLA)
3.9. at Lugano (Swiss NLA)
4.9. at Ambri-Piotta (Swiss NLA)
8.9. at Plzeň

HC Kometa Brno

1.8. St. Petersburg (KHL)
2.8. at Havlíčkův Brod (1st League)
4.8. at Slovan Bratislava (Slovak EL)
13.8. Linköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
14.8. HV´71 Jönköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
16.8. at Liberec (European Trophy)
19.8. Mannheim (German DEL) European Trophy at Innsbruck, Austria
21.8. at Salzburg (EBEL) European Trophy
27.8. at Pardubice European Trophy
28.8. Jokerit Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
3.9. České Budějovice European Trophy
6.9. Skalica (Slovak EL)
8.9. Slovan Bratislava (Slovak EL)

HC Sparta Praha

2.8. Liberec
5.8. Mladá Boleslav
11.8.  HV´71 Jönköping (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
13.8. at Djurgaarden (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
14.8. at Lulea (Swedish SEL) European Trophy
20.8. at Slavia Praha European Trophy
25.8. IFK Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
27.8. Jokerit Helsinki (Finnish SML) European Trophy
3.9. Eisbären Berlin (German DEL) European Trophy
4.9. at České Budějovice European Trophy
9.9. at Liberec

HC Vagnerplast Kladno

2.8. České Budějovice
4.8. at Litvínov
9.8. at České Budějovice
15.8. Ufa (KHL)
16.8. Ústí nad Labem (1st League)
18.8. Wolfsburg (German DEL)
19.8. Litvínov
23.8. at Crimmitschau (German 2nd BL)
25.8. Mladá Boleslav
30.8. at Landshut (German 2nd BL)
1.9. at Ústí nad Labem (1st League)
8.9. at Mladá Boleslav

BK Mladá Boleslav

3.8. Plzeň
5.8. at Sparta Praha
9.8. Litoměřice (1st League)
11.8. at Hradec Králové
18.8. at Litvínov
23.8. Benátky nad Jizerou (1st League)
25.8. at Kladno
30.8. at Benátky nad Jizerou (1st League)
1.9. Litvínov
8.9. Kladno

7 Czech teams will compete for European Trophy

The European hockey season just ended on Sunday, but on Friday it was announced that the 2011-12 season would officially begin on August 11 with the European Trophy.

Sparta in action against Djurgårdens IF in 2010 European Trophy
competition. They will renew acquaintances in Stockholm on
August 13, 2011. Photo: bart70.rajce.idnes.cz.

What began as the Nordic Trophy in 2006 as a pre-season tournament between Swedish and Finnish clubs, the event was expanded in 2010 to include teams in other European leagues. Last season, Sparta Praha was the lone Czech team to compete in the 18-team tournament which was won by Eisbären Berlin. This year, the tournament has been expanded to 24 teams, including seven Czech clubs. In addition to Finland and Sweden, there will also be clubs competing from Austria, Germany, and Slovakia. Last year, there were also clubs from Norway and Switzerland involved.

The 24 teams have been divided into four divisions of six, with Czech teams in three of the four groups. Sparta and Slavia Praha will play in the North Division, Bílí Tygři Liberec, Eaton Pardubice, and Kometa Brno in the South, and Mountfield České Budějovice and Plzeň 1929 will compete in the East.

Having Sparta and Slavia in the same group is convenient for teams travelling from other countries, who can play both teams on back-to-back nights. It also means that Prague fans will be treated to an August edition of their derby. The two teams will square off at Zimní stadion Eden in Prague's Vršovice district on August 20. Eden is where Slavia played its home games before O2 Arena opened in 2004. The club's training facilities and youth teams are still based there.

"When we've played summer pre-season games in the past, such as the Tipsport Cup, they attracted about 800 spectators. I think that a foreign team will attract even more," said Slavia general manager and coach, Vladimír Růžička, about what kind of crowds might be expected at Eden, which can accommodate around 3,000 spectators. "I'm hopeful that the games will be of good quality, even when they're played before the season."

Teams generally look at the tournament as a good way to get players into competitive games before the start of their domestic leagues. "In past summers, we had the Tipsport Cup, which won't take place this year," Kometa Brno coach Zdeněk Venera told hokej.cz's Jan Vacek. "We welcome the chance to play in this tournament to get a good look at our team in pre-season games against strong teams." 

Each team will play the other five teams in its group, plus one additional game against a team from each of the other three groups for a total of eight. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the playoff round, which will be a three-round, single-knockout event played in Salzburg and Vienna, Austria, December 16 to 18.

Below is the schedule of games involving Czech teams. Home teams are listed first. For a complete tournament schedule, visit:

http://www.europeantrophy.com/schedule.php

Thursday, August 11 HC Sparta Praha - HV71 Jönköping (Sweden) Adler Mannheim (Germany) - HC Bílí Tygři Liberec HC Eaton Pardubice - Linköpings HC (Sweden) Djurgårdens IF Stockholm (Sweden) - HC Slavia Praha   Saturday, August 13 HC Kometa Brno - Linköpings HC (Sweden) HC Eaton Pardubice - HV71 Jönköping Luleå HF (Sweden) - HC Slavia Praha HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice - HC Plzeň 1929 Djurgårdens IF Stockholm - HC Sparta Praha Sunday, August 14 HC Kometa Brno - HV71 Jönköping Luleå HF - HC Sparta Praha TPS Turku (Finland) - HC Slavia Praha Thursday, August 18 Adler Mannheim - HC Kometa Brno HC Bílí Tygři Liberec - HC Eaton Pardubice Oulun Kärpät (Finland) - HC Plzeň 1929 KalPa Kuopio (Finland) - HC Mountfield   Saturday, August 20 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec - HC Kometa Brno Adler Mannheim - HC Eaton Pardubice HC Slavia Praha - HC Sparta Praha Oulun Kärpät - HC Mountfield KalPa Kuopio - HC Plzeň 1929 Sunday, August 21 EC Red Bull Salzburg - HC Kometa Brno Tappara Tampere (Finland) - HC Eaton Pardubice Thursday, August 25 HV71 Jönköping - HC Bílí Tygři Liberec HC Slavia Praha - Jokerit Helsinki (Finland) HC Sparta Praha - Helsinki IFK (Finland) HC Plzeň 1929 - Vienna Capitals (Austria) HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice - HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) Saturday, August 27 Linköpings HC - HC Bílí Tygři Liberec HC Eaton Pardubice - HC Kometa Brno HC Sparta Praha - Jokerit Helsinki HC Slavia Praha - Helsinki IFK HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice - Vienna Capitals HC Plzeň 1929 - HC Slovan Bratislava Sunday, August 28 HC Plzeň 1929 - Tappara Tampere HC Kometa Brno - Jokerit Helsinki HC Eaton Pardubice - Helsinki IFK Oulun Kärpät - HC Bílí Tygři Liberec Thursday, September 1 EC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) - HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice Saturday, September 3 HC Sparta Praha - Eisbären Berlin (Germany) HC Bílí Tygři Liberec - Luleå HF HC Kometa Brno - HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice HC Slavia Praha - HC Plzeň 1929 Sunday, September 4 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec - Eisbären Berlin Adler Mannheim - HC Slavia Praha HC Plzeň 1929 - HC Eaton Pardubice HC Mountfield Č. Budějovice - HC Sparta Praha