While I've featured the top seven leagues individually, there are many other national, and even a couple more international European hockey circuits that are considered the top level of play in their respective jurisdictions. Among these leagues are some fairly well decorated clubs, and some with budgets that are bigger than teams in the European 'major' leagues. For these teams, though, the crown jewel of club competition lies outside their own league's championships: the IIHF Continental Cup, a tournament run in several stages all across the continent to determine the top team in Europe outside the establishment.
The Continental Cup wasn't always battled amongst the lower leagues. Slovakian, Finnish, Swiss, German and Russian clubs won the tournament until 2007, when Yunost Minsk of Belarus defeated Avangard Omsk in the final. With the start of the Champions Hockey League in 2008-09, the Continental Cup became a secondary pursuit, and it's remained that way even with the CHL being on hiatus ever since then. MHC Martin of Slovakia won the tournament in 2009, but Slovakian clubs didn't participate last year and aren't this year, making it a bit more competitive of a tournament, although the stages are tiered based on the previous year's results. The results influence the IIHF's rankings of European leagues, which causes some of the inaccuracies that I talked about in the original European Hockey for Dummies article.
In all, there are 30 leagues of varying significance outside of the main seven, and that's not counting the lower levels of play within those countries. Some are national leagues that have been around for the better part of a century, others are in countries and regions where hockey is just in its infancy. Names known in North American minor league circuits pop up and take on big roles in some of these leagues, playing alongside players that represent their nation internationally. For those players, the exposure of the Continental Cup can be a stepping stone to a contract in one of the higher leagues in Europe, or even the American Hockey League.
The format of the tournament makes obvious who are the clear favourites to win it all. The real point of the tournament is to simply go as far as you can, as each level of competition becomes more difficult. For teams playing in Group A this weekend in Joca, Spain, there have to be tempered expectations about making it to the Super Final... that in itself would be an amazing achievement. The teams that make the Super Final in January are limited between last year's winners (Red Bull Salzburg of Austria), the hosts (Yunost Minsk of Belarus), and teams automatically qualified for the Group C stage, AKA the semifinals. Winning this first stage would be a noteworthy accomplishment for the clubs involved, followed by not being blitzed at the Group B stage and maybe winning a game.
After the jump, a look at the format of the IIHF Continental Cup and a listing of the rest of the European leagues:
| Group A |
Jaca, ESP |
Sept 24-26, 2010 |
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| SC Energija Elektrenai |
 |
Latvian Hockey League |
||||
| Ankara University SK |
 |
Turkey Ice Hockey Super League |
||||
| CH Jaca |
 |
Superliga Espanola de Hockey Hielo |
||||
| Bat Yam HC |
 |
Israel Recreational Hockey Association? |
||||
|
Group B |
Tiburg, NED |
Oct 22-24, 2010 |
Group C |
Maribor, SLO |
Oct. 22-24, 2010 |
|
| Tiburg Trappers |
 |
Eredivisie |
HDK Maribor |
 |
Slohokej Liga |
|
| Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik |  |
Meistriliiga |
Dab Dunaujvaros |
 |
OB I. bajnoskág |
|
| Cracovia Krakow |
 |
Polska Liga Hokejowa |
SC Miercurea Ciuc |
 |
Romanian Hockey League |
|
| Winner, Group A |
Sary-Arka Karaganda |
 |
Kazakhstani Championship |
|||
| Group D |
Rouen, FRA |
Nov. 26-28, 2010 |
Group E |
Asiago, ITA |
Nov. 26-28, 2010 |
|
|
Rouen Dragons |
 |
Ligue Magnus |
HC Asiago |
 |
Serie A |
|
|
Coventry Blaze |
 |
Elite Ice Hockey League |
SønderjyskE Vojens |
 |
AL-Bank Ligaen |
|
|
Liepajas Metalurgs |
 |
Latvian Hockey League |
Sokol Kyiv |
 |
Ukrainian Hockey League |
|
|
Winner, Group B |
Winner, Group D |
|||||
|
Super Final |
Minsk, BEL |
Jan. 14-16, 2011 |
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|
Yunost Minsk |
 |
Belarusian Extraleague |
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|
Red Bull Salzburg |
 |
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga |
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|
Winner Group D |
||||||
|
Winner Group E |
If you're asking for my best uneducated guess, I'll pick the following winners. I like Energija to win Group A fairly easily, they've been a team in the Latvian league in the past and are semi-professional. I'm actually not sure where they're playing this season, I can't seem to find that out, as they are no longer in the Latvian league (EDIT: they do appear to be back in the Latvian league after some confusion). I think they'll be competitive in Group B, and could potentially take that group, but I'll take the Polish team, Cracovia Krakow, who were in the semifinal group stage last year. Group C should come down between the Kazakhstani team and the hosts, and I'll take HDK Maribor to advance. French teams have done well at this tournament, largely due to hosting the stages, including the final, and I'll take the Dragons de Rouen to win Group D and make the Super Final. In Group E, we have a new entry in the Danish side, which didn't participate last year. Really, anyone can win that group and it might be the most competitive of the whole tournament. I'll take Sokol Kyiv to return to the Super Final, where they placed 3rd last year. In the end, I think the hosts Yunost Minsk will take their second Continental Cup... they're the best team in the toughest league of the group, although Red Bull Salzburg has some interesting imports that might carry the day like last year.
The tournament is a diversion from each team's league play, so it provides a nice break for us casual observers to stop in and see how the rest of Europe is holding up. This weekend offers us the lowest levels of play, but some of hockey's most interesting outposts. We see true amateur teams competing against semi-professional ranks, and we end with teams whose players are decently paid. That variety, as much as the multicultural aspects, make this tournament unique in the hockey world.
And now, a summary of the leagues these teams come from, plus a few other leagues:
| League |
Countries |
Teams |
Est. |
2010 Champion |
IIHF Euro Rank (2008) |
| AL-Bank Ligaen |
|
8 |
1954 |
SønderjyskE |
10 |
| Armenian Hockey League |
 |
N/A |
2000 |
Uratu Yerevan |
- |
| Belarusian Extraleague |
|
12 |
1992 |
Yunost Minsk |
8 |
| Belgian Hockey League |
 |
13 |
1912 |
HYC Herentals |
- |
| BiH Hockey League |
 |
3 |
2002 |
HK Stari Grad |
- |
| Bulgarian Hockey League |
 |
8 |
1952 |
HC Slavia Sofia |
27 |
| Croatian Ice Hockey League |
 |
4 |
1992 |
KHL Medvescek |
24 |
| Elite Ice Hockey League |
|
10 |
2003 |
Belfast Giants |
21 |
| Eredivisie |
|
8 |
1945 |
Romijnders Devils Nijmegen |
19 |
| Erste Bank Eishockey Liga |
|
10 |
1923 |
Red Bull Salzburg |
11 |
| GET-ligaen |
 |
10 |
1935 |
Stavanger Oilers |
13 |
| Greece Ice Hockey Championship |
 |
7 |
1989 |
Iptamenol Pagodromol Athens |
- |
| Icelandic Hockey League |
 |
4 |
1991 |
Skautafélag Reykjavíkur |
- |
| Irish Ice Hockey League |
 |
6 |
2007 |
Dundalk Bulls |
- |
| Israel Recreational Hockey Association |
   |
N/A |
1989 |
? |
30 |
| Kazakhstani Championship |
|
7 |
1992 |
Sary-Arka Karaganda |
12 |
| Latvian Hockey League |
|
6 |
1931 |
HK Liepäjas Metalurgs |
9 |
| Ligue Magnus |
|
14 |
1907 |
Dragons de Rouen |
14 |
| Lithuania Hockey League |
 |
10 |
1991 |
Sporto Centras Elektrenai |
23 |
| Meistriliiga |
|
6 |
1991 |
Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik |
26 |
| MOL Liga |
|
9 |
2008 |
Budapest Stars |
- |
| OB I. bajnoskág |
|
6 |
1937 |
Alba Volán Székesfehévár |
17 |
| Polska Liga Hokejowa |
|
11 |
1955 |
Podhale Nowy Targ |
18 |
| Romanian Hockey League |
|
6 |
1924 |
SC Miercurea Cluc |
22 |
| Serbian Hockey League |
 |
4 |
1991 |
HK Partizan |
25 |
| Serie A |
|
9 |
1924 |
HC Asiago |
16 |
| Slohokej Liga |
|
10 |
2009 |
HDK Stavbar Maribor |
15 |
| Superliga Espanola de Hockey Heilo |
|
5 |
1973 |
CH Jaca |
28 |
| Turkey Ice Hockey Super League |
|
6 |
1993 |
Ankara University SK |
29 |
| Ukrainian Hockey League |
|
15 |
1992 |
Sokol Kyiv |
20 |
If I've missed something, let me know. I'll add info here at the bottom.
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