Hockey Europe is the union of professional and independent ice hockey leagues in Europe, safeguarding the interests of their member leagues, currently consisting of members representing the national leagues of:
IIHF statement on Memorandum of Understanding with E.H.C., Hockey Europe and CHL
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs (E.H.C.), Hockey Europe, and the Champions Hockey League (CHL) are proud to sign and give their active support to a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
“This MoU marks the culmination of a long process of discussions, negotiations, and collaborations between leading organizations in Europe’s ice hockey family,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif. “The agreement shows that hard work is rewarded off the ice as well as on it. It is exciting to have our cooperation formalized and to begin working toward our common goals together.”
“It is vital for Europe’s professional clubs, leagues, and inter-club competitions to promote shared values,” said E.H.C. President Marc Lüthi. “Our clubs are the primary recruiters and developers of hockey talent in Europe, and this MoU underlines the importance of effective and mutually beneficial collaboration between clubs and national team programs.”
With a commitment to democracy and transparency in governance and fair play and integrity in all sectors, strong, sustainable growth for ice hockey lies ahead for European pro clubs and leagues and in international and inter-club competition.
The MoU features several key points that reflect the parties’ unified outlook.
“From the CHL and Continental Cup to the Olympics and IIHF World Championships, it is important to develop a year-round calendar that strikes the best possible balance for all European ice hockey stakeholders,” said CHL President Jörgen Lindgren. “We seek optimal conditions for our stars to shine on the biggest stages, such as the annual CHL final.”
“European leagues must be able to voice their interests and have their rights respected when collaborating within the IIHF’s working structure,” said Hockey Europe President Denis Vaucher. “Youth hockey development, support for smaller European hockey countries, and a sustainable environmental approach are also essential ingredients for long-term success.”
In addition, the MoU highlights women’s hockey as a priority for IIHF Member National Associations (MNAs), clubs and leagues, recognizing the rapid growth of women’s sports worldwide.
“Operating under the IIHF’s Statutes, By-Laws, and Regulations, the IIHF, E.H.C., Hockey Europe, and CHL will chart a path together that maximizes European ice hockey’s potential,” said IIHF Director General Matti Nurminen. “Increased on-ice excellence, player development, commercial value, fan support, and international cooperation are our mutual objectives.”
The MoU also affirms and reinforces the principles in the IIHF’s ICE26 Strategic Plan as the global ice hockey family looks forward to showcasing our sport’s best at the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy.
The outlook for hockey in Europe is bright and continues to grow brighter. The IIHF, E.H.C., Hockey Europe, and CHL are committed to the hard work that lies ahead and look forward to succeeding together in a spirit of true partnership.
General Assembly Hockey Europe 2024
On September 25, 2024, this year's Hockey Europe General Assembly took place in the context of the IIHF Semiannual Congress in Rhodes.
All members were represented by Jenny Silfverstrand and Johan Hemlin (SHL), Gernot Tripcke (Penny DEL), Christian Feichtinger (Win2Day Ice Hockey League), Mikko Pulkkinen (Liiga), Martin Loukota (Tipsport Extraliga), Denis Vaucher (National League) as well as Jörgen Lindgren (CHL, connected online).
In his annual report Denis Vaucher was able to look back on a successful 2023/24 season in every respect. All leagues recorded excellent attendance figures. In summary, it can be said that European club ice hockey is booming. The good cooperation with the IIHF – among other in the European Professional Hockey Committee - has been strengthened and mutual understanding has increased. The already well-functioning collaboration with the E.H.C. Alliance is to be further expanded in the future. Talks are to be held with other independent professional leagues in Europe about a possible collaboration/admission within Hockey Europe. In addition, the existing network and know-how among the professional leagues is to be expanded and shared with all other interested leagues as required.
Denis Vaucher was re-elected president for a further season and stated: “It is a great honor for me to serve as president of Hockey Europe. Our goal, together with the European clubs and the IIHF, must be to continue to promote the growth of European ice hockey - whether at the professional level, in the development of young talent or in women's ice hockey.”
Nominees announced for 2023 Fenix Outdoor Euro Hockey Awards
The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs (E.H.C.) has announced the nominees for the 2023 Fenix Outdoor & Warrior European Hockey Awards.
Young Player of the Year - presented by Fjällräven
Nominated (in alphabetical order):
Leo Carlsson (Örebro Hockey, SWE) – Led SHL in assists (15) & points (25) for U20 player
Leevi Meriläinen (Kärpät Oulu, FIN) – 5th best Sv% (.918) & GAA (2.02) in Liiga + 2 NHL games
Aku Räty (Ilves Tampere, FIN) – 42pts (11th in Liiga) nearly doubled previous season
David Reinbacher (EHC Kloten, SUI) – 22pts 2nd among NL jr players, tied 20th among D-men at 17
William Wallinder (Rögle BK, SWE) – 21:27 led Rögle & 10th in SHL TOI, 13th in D pts with 26
Coach of the Year - presented by Globetrotter
Nominated (in alphabetical order):
Jan Cadieux (Genève-Servette, SUI) – In first full season behind GSHC bench won club’s 1st ever title
Jörgen Jönsson (Växjö Lakers, SWE) – Team back on top under new coach, won league & playoffs
Tommi Niemelä (Pelicans Lahti, FIN) – Steady progress in 3 seasons, this year Lahti’s 2nd ever final Jussi Tapola (Tappara Tampere, FIN) – Back-to-back Finnish doubles, this year CHL title added
Antti Törmänen (EHC Biel-Bienne, SUI) – Led team to 2nd place & finals despite cancer treatment
Club of the Year - presented by Hanwag
Nominated (in alphabetical order):
Belfast Giants (GBR) – dominated EIHL by winning league, playoffs, Challenge Cup in one season
Genève-Servette (SUI) – first title in club’s 118-year history, first regular season title in 56 years
Oceláři Třinec (CZE) – 4 straight Czech titles, 5 straight finals, heart & soul of a town of 34K
Växjö Lakers (SWE) – 4 titles (including 3 doubles) in last 8 years for club only founded in 1997
Tappara Tampere (FIN) – 11 seasons no worse than 4th, 4 titles, this year’s CHL win makes “treble”
Warrior Career Excellence Award
The Warrior Career Excellence Award is annually presented to the player who during his or her career has best exemplified the qualities of sportsmanship and dedication combined with community service and high standard of playing ability. Nominated (in alphabetical order):
Roman Červenka (R-Jona Lakers, SUI) – 2nd straight NL scoring title for 37-year-old Czech captain
Valtteri Filppula (Genève-Servette, SUI) – Triple Gold Club, this year added GSHC’s 1st ever title
Joakim Lindström (Skellefteå AIK, SWE) – SHL top scorer in 2010s, still a force at 39, cult figure
Tomáš Plekanec (Rytíři Kladno, CZE) – Captain of maternal club, at 40 still a top 2-way centre
Patrick Reimer (Nürnberg, GER) – DEL’s all-time goals & points leader, 3x MVP, Olympic silver
Voting is now open on www.eurohockeyclubs.com
The awards will be presented on 13 June at the Annual E.H.C. Awards Dinner in Prague.
Hockey Europe gets a rebranding
Since the founding of the Hockey Europe Union in 2008, there has been a logo. After 15 years the organization gets a new face with a redesigned logo as well as a modern homepage. Some important features have been retained in the design revision process, thus also strengthening the Hockey Europe brand.
Hockey Europe and Hockey of Tomorrow Announce Official Media Partnership for 2023
Hockey of Tomorrow (HoT), a vibrant media and community platform where fresh voices cover hockey’s positive impact stories and the people changing the game, has agreed on a formal partnership with Hockey Europe. The platform will get exclusive access and cooperation to cover all tech, cultural and social impact news that comes out of the Swedish Hockey League, SM-liiga, Czech Extraliga, Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Austrian Hockey League, and the National League from Switzerland.
With a planned digital launch on March 24, 2023, HoT will host written, audio, and video content in long and short form, created by a meticulously recruited set of 15 diverse, up-and-coming, and fresh-voice contributors. Hockey Europe plans to ramp up operations in the foreseeable future and given its purpose to promote cooperation, amicable relations, and unity across European hockey, there was a strong affinity with Hockey of Tomorrow’s vision.
“Hockey Europe is entering a new, more active, and ambitious phase of its existence. The collaboration with Hockey of Tomorrow will help us communicate our ambitions as European hockey leaders. We’re thrilled to spotlight the important roles that our leagues hold internationally,” said Denis Vaucher, Hockey Europe President and CEO of the National League in Switzerland.
One of the main initial focuses for HoT will be to bring to life the league storylines, their cultural differences, and their contextual relevance within the hockey industry in North America.
“Hockey of Tomorrow has a fascinating challenge in front of it: to provide the North American hockey fan an opportunity to engage with European hockey, in English. Hockey across the top European leagues is so rich in history and baked in traditions, but the main issue is that it’s spread across a half dozen languages,” opined Thomas Sychterz, Founder and CEO of Hockey of Tomorrow.
The platform is careful to specify that it will be a step-by-step process and that it will take time to build trust and understanding.
“On a macro level, and people don’t realize this, Hockey Europe leagues represent over $1B of yearly revenue. That’s significant. Shedding some light for the Canadian or American fan on what’s happening across the ocean in hockey is right up our alley,” stated Sychterz.
Several long-form pieces of written content about the various leagues are ready to be published. Also, a podcast with league CEOs as guests will hit streaming platforms in a few weeks.
“The partnership is an exciting exploratory moment for the Hockey Europe organization and we’re looking forward to collaborating on the future of our beloved game,” added Gernot Tripcke, CEO of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest professional hockey league in Germany and one of Hockey Europes founding members.
About Hockey of Tomorrow
Hockey of Tomorrow is a media and community platform powered by over 150 pro hockey players looking to bring hockey into the future. Its values include diversity, innovation, culture and positive influence.
New president for Hockey Europe
Denis Vaucher new president of Hockey Europe
During the IIHF Semi-annual Congress in Belek, the General Assembly of Hockey Europe was held. The previous president Jörgen Lindgren was bid farewell, thanking him for his valuable services, as he has taken over the presidency of the Champions Hockey League. Denis Vaucher, CEO of the National League, was unanimously elected as the new president of Hockey Europe.
