2020–21 Champions Hockey League


The 2020–21 Champions Hockey League will be the seventh season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. The tournament will be competed by 32 teams, and qualification is on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues are represented by between three and five teams, while seven "challenge leagues" are represented by one team each. An additional spot was awared to the 2019–20 IIHF Continental Cup winner. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group stage is skipped and the season will start with a 32-team play-off in October.

Team allocation

A total of 32 teams from different European first-tier leagues will participate in the 2020–21 Champions Hockey League. Besides the Continental Cup champions, 24 teams from the six founding leagues, as well as the national champions from Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, France, Belarus, Great Britain and Poland can qualify.
The qualification for these places is set out in the rules as follows:
  1. CHL champions
  2. National league champions
  3. Regular season winners
  4. Regular season runners-up
  5. Regular season third-placed team
  6. Regular season fourth-placed team
  7. Regular season fifth-placed team
For the Austrian Hockey League teams are however picked in this order:
  1. League champions
  2. Regular season winners
  3. Pick Round winners
  4. Pick Round runners-up
  5. Losing playoff finalists
Note: Great Britain is the lone exception as the EIHL, in line with their traditions, determine their national champion following the regular season.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, many leagues were forced to cancel their seasons early. Places usually reserved for the playoff champions of those leagues were given to the next best team from the regular season, or in the Austrian Hockey League's case, the next best team from the regular season pick round. In the case of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the team leading the regular season at the time of its cancellation were given its Champions Hockey League place. HC '05 Banská Bystrica qualified for the CHL as Slovak Tipsport liga's regular season champion but had to withdraw due to issues related to the arena. They were replaced by HC Neman Grodno.

Teams

TeamCity/AreaLeagueQualificationParticipationPrevious Best
Frölunda HCGöteborgSwedish Hockey League2020 CHL winner7thChampion
Luleå HFLuleåSwedish Hockey Leagueregular season winner5thChampion
Färjestad BKKarlstadSwedish Hockey Leagueregular season runner-up5thRound of 16
Rögle BKÄngelholmSwedish Hockey Leagueregular season third1stFirst appearance
Skellefteå AIKSkellefteåSwedish Hockey Leagueregular season fourth6thSemi-finals
ZSC LionsZürichNational Leagueregular season winner6thQuarter-finals
EV ZugZugNational Leagueregular season runner-up7thQuarter-finals
HC DavosDavosNational Leagueregular season third4thSemi-finals
Genève-Servette HCGenevaNational Leagueregular season fourth3rdRound of 16
EHC BielBiel/BienneNational Leagueregular season fifth2ndQuarter-finals
Red Bull MünchenMunichDeutsche Eishockey Ligaregular season winner6thFinal
Adler MannheimMannheimDeutsche Eishockey Ligaregular season runner-up6thRound of 16
Straubing TigersStraubingDeutsche Eishockey Ligaregular season third1stFirst appearance
Eisbären BerlinBerlinDeutsche Eishockey Ligaregular season fourth5thRound of 16
KärpätOuluSM-liigaregular season winner6thFinal
LukkoRaumaSM-liigaregular season runner-up4thSemi-finals
TapparaTampereSM-liigaregular season third7thRound of 16
IlvesTampereSM-liigaregular season fourth1stFirst appearance
Bílí Tygři LiberecLiberecCzech Extraligaregular season winner6thSemi-finals
Oceláři TřinecTřinecCzech Extraligaregular season runner-up6thSemi-finals
HC Sparta PrahaPragueCzech Extraligaregular season third4thFinal
Red Bull SalzburgSalzburgAustrian Hockey Leagueregular season first round winner6thSemi-finals
HC BolzanoBolzanoAustrian Hockey Leagueregular season pick round winner3rdRound of 16
Vienna CapitalsViennaAustrian Hockey Leagueregular season pick round third7thRound of 16
SønderjyskE IshockeyVojensMetal LigaenContinental Cup winner3rdGroup stage
Aalborg PiratesAalborgMetal Ligaenregular season winner2ndGroup stage
Yunost MinskMinskBelarusian Extraleagueplay-off champion4thRound of 16
HC Neman GrodnoGrodnoBelarusian Extraleagueregular season runner-up4thGroup stage
Cardiff DevilsCardiffElite Ice Hockey Leagueregular season leader4thGroup stage
Brûleurs de LoupsGrenobleLigue Magnusregular season winner3rdGroup stage
Stavanger OilersStavangerGET-ligaenregular season champion5thRound of 32
GKS TychyTychyPolska Hokej Ligaregular season champion3rdGroup stage

Play-offs

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group stage is skipped and the season will start with a 32-team play-off in October.