Sport Ice Hockey Inaugural season 1923 Most recent
champion(s) Team Canada (14) Number of teams 6 (group stage) | Founder Dr. Carl Spengler No. of teams 6 (group stage) Founded by Carl Spengler Venue Vaillant Arena | |
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Countries Switzerland (usually HC Davos), Canada, Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden, various other European countries Instances 2016 Spengler Cup, 2015 Spengler Cup, 2014 Spengler Cup, 2013 Spengler Cup, 2006 Spengler Cup | ||
The Spengler Cup is an annual invitational ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team HC Davos and played each year in Davos, Switzerland, between Christmas (December 25) and New Year's Day. Currently, all games are held at Vaillant Arena.
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It was originally devised by Dr. Carl Spengler as a means to promote teams from German-speaking Europe, who might have suffered ostracism in the aftermath of World War I. Eventually, the tournament grew well beyond expectations. Many of Europe's most prestigious clubs and national programs have appeared, including Soviet, Swedish, Finnish, Czechoslovak and German powerhouses.
Among non-European organizations, Team Canada, Team USA, nationally-ranked NCAA schools, reigning AHL Calder Cup and Ontario Hockey Association champions, and even Team Japan (in 1971 as hosts of the then-upcoming Sapporo Winter Olympics) have traveled to Davos through the years. The 2013 tournament marked the return of a North American league team, the AHL's Rochester Americans, who also were the last such team to take part, in 1996.
In the 2016 tournament, Team Canada successfully defended their Spengler Cup championship from 2015, defeating HC Lugano 5–2 in the final.
The Spengler Cup is broadcast on Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen in Switzerland, on Eurosport 2 in most of Europe, on Match TV and NTv2 in Russia, on Sport1 in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, on Sport Klub in Slovenia and on TSN and RDS in Canada.
History
The Cup was first awarded in 1923 to the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club, composed of Canadian students. The tournament was then dominated by Czechoslovak and Soviet teams between 1965 and 1983. In 1984 Team Canada began participating and has since won the Cup fourteen times. Team Canada is predominantly made up of Canadians playing in Europe, as well as American Hockey League prospects. Notable free agents (like veteran goaltender Curtis Joseph) or coaches without an NHL contract (like 2015's winning coach Guy Boucher) have also used the Spengler Cup to keep their name around. During the 2012 NHL lockout, huge stars like Joe Thornton and Rick Nash were already playing for HC Davos, so they played in the 2012 Spengler Cup for the host team.
From its inception until 1978, the tournament was played on an outdoor rink. The outdoor rink still exists outside the indoor arena, and is one of the largest outdoor rinks in the world. Starting in 1978, all tournament games have been played indoors. In 1956, the championship trophy was given its classic and best-known look (pictured left), which stood until a new gold design was unveiled in 2010.
Temporary reinforcements
A frequent point of contention among hockey observers discussing the Spengler Cup's relevance is the use of temporary reinforcements. Since the tournament is open to both clubs and national teams, a rule exists that allows club teams to hire up to four additional players (three skaters and one goaltender) for the duration of the competition. Prior to the 2010 edition, six reinforcement players (five skaters and a goaltender) were allowed per team.
In practice, not all participants choose to take advantage of the rule to the same extent, and it works mostly to the host team's benefit. HC Davos, for whom the event is a significant source of income, tends to upgrade its roster with experienced talent in order to guarantee a competitive performance and maintain high interest from the Swiss audience. Other teams don't have such incentives to reinforce their squad and will often be much less selective.
Spengler Cup winners
Notes
1 Oxford University and LTC Prague play 0–0 after overtime. Both teams are declared winners. 2 Cup not held due to World War II. 3 Cup not held. 4 Cup not held.By club
Notes
1 Slovakia was a part of Czechoslovakia at the time, so HC Slovan Bratislava represented both Czechoslovakia and the Slovak Socialist Republic 2 Ukraine was a Soviet republic at the time, so Sokil Kyiv represented both the Soviet Union and Soviet UkraineBy nation
Notes
1 Includes hockey clubs from the First Czechoslovak Republic, the Third Czechoslovak Republic, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the last Czech and Slovak Federative Republic based in today's Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Czechoslovak national teams. 2 Includes the runner-up 1967 Kingston Aces of the Ontario Hockey Association. 3 Includes hockey clubs based in today's Russia and Ukraine, and Soviet national teams. 4 Includes hockey clubs from the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, Allied-occupied Germany, West Germany, and today's Bundesrepublik. 5 includes hockey clubs from the Kingdom of Italy and today's Italian Republic. 6 Includes CSKA Moscow's Cup win in 1991. 7 Includes hockey clubs from the French Third Republic and today's Fifth Republic.