Not all the seasons are over in ice hockey across Europe and hockey fans already can look forward to new great games in the next season. On August 17th 2012 the new European Trophy starts their games.
For the first time 21 of the 128 matches in European Trophy 2012 will be played during the running seasons of the respective national leagues in all seven countries. In total the 32 participants compete for 360.000 Euros of price money.
“As you can see in the number of games, dates of games and the price money, European Trophy takes the next step. I’m really happy about that and look forward to the first games”, tournament director Bo Lennartsson says.
The final tournament of European Trophy “Red Bulls Salute 2012” will be played in Bratislava and Vienna and leaves Salzburg for the first time. The finals for the Red Bulls Salute Champion 2012 will be played from December 13 to December 16 2012. The four group winners along with the two best second placed teams and the seeded hosts, HC Slovan Bratislava and Vienna Capitals, will qualify.
There will be some really good games taking place in this year’s attempt of all the teams to reach out to the Red Bulls Salute 2012. In Salzburg for example the European Trophy Champions of 2011 and 2010, EC Red Bull Salzburg and Eisbären Berlin will face off on August 24th for a battle of the Champions.
A great game can also be expected in the Helsinki Ice Hall on September 6th 2012, when the Finnish champions of 2011, HIFK hosts the Swedish champion of the same year, Färjestads BK.
October 16th 2012 offers another very interesting showdown. Playoff finalists of Czech Extraliga HC CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice will then meet the finalists of Swiss Nationalliga A, SC Bern.
The back-to-back derby games between UPC Vienna Capitals and HC Slovan Bratislava on the last day of August and the first day of September will again bring lots of emotions into Austria’s and Slovakia’s capitals.
There will be a dozen and more of games like this where Europe’s best hockey clubs meet and compete for the European Trophy Champion 2012. Be prepared for European club ice hockey at its best!
Visit here for the complete European Trophy schedule.
