2012 European Trophy

2012 European Trophy
Tournament details
Host nation	?
Dates	31 July – 16 December 2012
Teams	32
Venue(s)	43 (in 40 host cities)
Tournament statistics
Games played	98
Goals scored	577  (5.89 per game)
Attendance	269,779  (2,753 per game)
Scoring leader(s)	Jack Connolly

The 2012 European Trophy was the third European Trophy, a European ice hockey tournament held annually. It is also the seventh tournament since its predecessor, the Nordic Trophy, was launched in 2006. The regulation round started on 31 July 2012 with the South Division game between Piráti Chomutov–Slovan Bratislava, and will end on 28 November 2012. The playoffs will be played between 13–16 December 2012 in Vienna and in Bratislava. The preliminary schedule for the regulation round was released on 12 April 2012.

In this year's tournament the number of participating teams was increased from 24 to 32. Also, as Red Bull Salzburg no longer hosted the playoffs for the first time in European Trophy history, they weren't guaranteed a playoff spot. Of the 128 regular round games, 20 were played mid-season (i.e. after teams had started their league seasons in their respective countries). Regarding the playoffs, there were Quarterfinals, Semifinals as well as the Final game, meaning that the losing teams in each round were immediately eliminated from the tournament.

On 31 May 2012, Slavia Praha announced that they were pulling out of the tournament. On 18 June it was announced that Piráti Chomutov would take over Slavia Praha's spot in the South Division.

Tournament format

The 32 teams in the tournament are, partly based on geographical location, divided into four divisions: the West Division, the North Division, the South Division, and the East Division. Each division consists of 8 teams who will play a round-robin in their division, with an extra game against a local rival in their division, giving a total of 8 games per team. Each team is assigned four home games as well as four road games. The top two teams of each division qualify for the playoffs; however, should Slovan Bratislava and/or Vienna Capitals qualify for the playoffs as hosts (if they fail to reach one of the top two spots of the South Division), they will replace the worst second ranked team(s) out of all four divisions.

Should at least two teams in the same division (or second-ranked teams) end up tied in points, the following tie-breaker format will be used:

1. Best goal difference
2. Most goals scored in total (goals forward)
3. Results in games against the tied teams
4. Drawing of lots

This tie-breaker format will also apply when determining which second-ranked team(s) to be replaced if the host teams Slovan Bratislava and/or Vienna Capitals fail to reach the playoffs by finishing top two in the South Division.

Playing format

If a game is tied after regulation time (60 minutes), an overtime lasting for 5 minutes is played. During overtime, both teams substitute only 4 players on the ice at once (except for 3 when either of the teams has a penalized player). If no team scores during the overtime period, a shootout is played, starting with three penalty shots for both teams. If the shootout remains tied after the first three rounds, sudden death rounds are played until a winning team has been forced.

In the regulation round games, the teams get three points for a regulation-time victory, two points for an overtime/shootout win, one point for losing in overtime/shootout, and zero points for a regulation loss.

Prize money

After the regulation round, the four division winners received €25 000 each, the four second-placed teams €20 000, and the third, fourth and fifth team of each division received €15 000, €10 000, and €5 000, respectively. Additionally, in the final of the Red Bulls Salute, the winning team received €50 000, while the losing finalist got €10 000. In total, €360 000 was given out during the entire tournament.

Participating clubs

Division	Team	City	Home arena*	Capacity	Joined NT/ET
North	Oulun Kärpät	Oulu	Oulun Energia Areena	6,614	2006
	Eisbären Berlin	Berlin	O2 World	14,200	2010
	Red Bull Salzburg	Salzburg	Eisarena Salzburg	3,600	2010
	Luleå HF	Luleå	Coop Norrbotten Arena	6,200	2011
	Kometa Brno	Brno	Kajot Arena	7,200	2011
	Mountfield České Budějovice	České Budějovice	Budvar Arena	6,421	2011
	Plzeň 1929	Plzeň	ČEZ Aréna	8,420	2011
	Hamburg Freezers	Hamburg	O2 World	12,947	2012
South	Linköpings HC	Linköping	Cloetta Center	8,500	2006
	HV71	Jönköping	Kinnarps Arena	7,038	2008
	Sparta Praha	Prague	Tipsport Arena	13,150	2010
	Piráti Chomutov***	Chomutov	Multifunkční aréna Chomutov	5,250	2012
	KalPa	Kuopio	Kuopion Jäähalli	5,225	2011
	Slovan Bratislava	Bratislava	Slovnaft Arena	10,000	2011
	UPC Vienna Capitals	Vienna	Albert Schultz Eishalle	7,000	2011
	JYP	Jyväskylä	Synergia-areena	4,628	2012
East	TPS	Turku	HK Arena	11,820	2006
	Tappara	Tampere	Hakametsä Areena	7,800	2006
	Djurgårdens IF	Stockholm	Hovet	8,094	2006
	SC Bern	Bern	PostFinance-Arena	17,131	2010**
	Bílí Tygři Liberec	Liberec	Tipsport Arena	7,500	2011
	ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice	Pardubice	ČEZ Aréna	10,194	2011
	Brynäs IF	Gävle	Läkerol Arena	8,585	2012
	HC Fribourg-Gottéron	Fribourg	BCF Arena	6,900	2012
West	Färjestad BK	Karlstad	Löfbergs Lila Arena	8,647	2006
	Frölunda Indians	Gothenburg	Scandinavium	12,044	2006
	HIFK	Helsinki	Helsinki Ice Hall	8,200	2006
	Jokerit	Helsinki	Hartwall Areena	13,349	2008
	ZSC Lions	Zurich	Hallenstadion	10,700	2010**
	Adler Mannheim	Mannheim	SAP Arena	10,600	2010
	ERC Ingolstadt	Ingolstadt	Saturn Arena	4,815	2012
	EV Zug	Zug	Bossard Arena	7,015	2012

• Note (*): the stated home arenas don't have to be used in the European Trophy tournament.
• Note (**): SC Bern and ZSC Lions did not participate in 2011.
• Note (***): Slavia Praha pulled out of the tournament just two months before the first games are to be played. Piráti Chomutov are replacing Slavia Praha.

Rivalries

• West Division
  • Jokerit vs. HIFK
  • Frölunda Indians vs. Färjestad BK
  • Adler Mannheim vs. ERC Ingolstadt
  • ZSC Lions vs. EV Zug
• North Division
  • Luleå HF vs. Oulun Kärpät
  • Hamburg Freezers vs. Eisbären Berlin
  • Kometa Brno vs. Plzeň 1929
  • České Budějovice vs. Red Bull Salzburg
• South Division
  • KalPa vs. JYP
  • Linköpings HC vs. HV71
  • Piráti Chomutov vs. Sparta Praha
  • Vienna Capitals vs. Slovan Bratislava
• East Division
  • Tappara vs. TPS
  • Brynäs IF vs. Djurgårdens IF
  • Bílí Tygři Liberec vs. Pojišťovna Pardubice
  • SC Bern vs. Fribourg-Gottéron

Regulation round

	Team is qualified for the playoffs
	Team is eliminated from the tournament

West Division

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	+/–	Pts
EV Zug	8	4	2	0	2	30	21	+9	16
Jokerit	7	4	1	1	1	23	14	+9	15
Färjestad BK	7	3	2	1	1	25	16	+9	14
ERC Ingolstadt	8	3	1	3	1	34	30	+4	14
Frölunda Indians	8	3	0	2	3	18	32	–14	11
HIFK	8	2	0	2	4	24	26	–2	8
ZSC Lions	8	2	1	0	5	17	24	–7	8
Adler Mannheim	8	1	2	0	5	18	26	–8	7

North Division

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	+/–	Pts
Luleå HF	8	7	0	0	1	33	13	+20	21
Eisbären Berlin	8	6	0	1	1	27	15	+12	19
Hamburg Freezers	8	3	2	0	3	28	24	+4	13
Kometa Brno	7	3	0	1	3	20	30	–10	10
České Budějovice	7	3	0	0	4	17	20	–3	9
Red Bull Salzburg	7	3	0	0	4	18	24	–6	9
Oulun Kärpät	8	1	1	2	4	18	26	–8	7
Plzeň 1929	7	0	1	0	6	18	27	–9	2

South Division

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	+/–	Pts
HV71	8	6	0	1	0	29	12	+17	19
Vienna Capitals	7	3	2	1	1	23	20	+3	14
Piráti Chomutov	7	2	2	2	1	28	21	+7	12
Linköpings HC	8	3	1	1	3	23	29	–6	12
Sparta Praha	8	3	1	0	4	29	34	–5	11
Slovan Bratislava	8	1	3	1	3	22	21	+1	10
JYP	8	2	0	2	4	23	32	–9	8
KalPa	8	1	1	2	4	21	29	–8	7

East Division

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	+/–	Pts
Tappara	8	4	2	1	1	26	16	+13	17
Brynäs IF	8	5	0	2	1	25	20	+5	17
Bílí Tygři Liberec	7	4	0	0	3	23	22	+1	12
TPS	8	3	1	1	3	18	17	+1	12
Pojišťovna Pardubice	7	3	0	0	4	20	18	+2	9
SC Bern	7	2	1	1	3	18	22	–4	9
Djurgårdens IF	8	2	1	0	5	18	27	–9	8
Fribourg-Gottéron	7	1	1	1	4	15	21	–6	6

Playoff team seeds

Playoff hosts Slovan Bratislava and Vienna Capitals qualify automatically. Four division-winners qualify. After this, best-scoring division-runners-up qualify to bring the number to exactly eight.

Winners of divisions:

• West: Färjestad BK
• North: Luleå HF
• South: HV71
• East: Tappara

Runners-up of divisions:

Team	Division	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	+/–	Pts
Eisbären Berlin	North	8	6	0	1	1	27	15	+12	19
Brynäs IF	East	8	5	0	2	1	25	20	+5	17
EV Zug	West	8	4	2	0	2	30	21	+9	16
Vienna Capitals	South	8	3	2	1	2	24	26	-2	14

Playoffs

The playoffs, known as the Red Bulls Salute, will take place in the Albert Schultz Eishalle, Vienna and in the Slovnaft Arena, Bratislava between 13–16 December 2012, with the Final game taking place in Slovnaft Arena. It will be played as a single-elimination tournament, meaning that the losing teams in each round are eliminated from the tournament. For the first time in Red Bulls Salute history, no classification/placement games will be played, so there will only be Quarterfinals, Semifinals as well as the Final game. The winner of the Red Bulls Salute will be awarded a total prize sum of €50 000, and the losing finalist receives €10 000.

Quarterfinals

13 December 2012 17:00

Luleå HF

4:3

Brynäs IF

Albert Schultz Eishalle, Vienna

Game reference

13 December 2012 17:00

HV71

1:2 1:0,0:1,0:1

Tappara

Slovnaft Arena, Bratislava

Game reference
	Fasth		Erkinjutti Pallola

13 December 2012 20:30

Vienna Capitals

3:2 OT

Eisbären Berlin

Albert Schultz Eishalle, Vienna

Game reference

13 December 2012 20:30

Slovan Bratislava

1:4

Färjestad BK

Slovnaft Arena, Bratislava

Game reference

The quarterfinal matchups will be determined by the regulation-round record of the six playoff teams aside from the two automatically qualified hosts Slovan Bratislava and Vienna Capitals. The top-ranked team of these six teams will face the sixth-ranked team; the second-ranked team will face the fifth-ranked team; the third-ranked team will face Vienna Capitals; and the fourth-ranked team will face Slovan Bratislava.

Semifinals

15 December 2012 17:00

Luleå HF

2:0

Vienna Capitals

Albert Schultz Eishalle, Vienna

Game reference

15 December 2012 20:30

Tappara

1:3

Färjestad BK

Slovnaft Arena, Bratislava

Game reference

Final

16 December 2012 20:00

Luleå HF

2:0 (1–0, 0–0, 1–0)

Färjestad BK

Slovnaft Arena, Bratislava Attendance: 1,750

Game reference

Ranking and statistics

Final standings

The following is the final standings of the playoffs. However, note that because there weren't any classification/placement games in this year's playoffs, the standings for the six teams that missed the Final game were ranked on the following criteria: A. whether the team made it to the Semifinal or not, and B. the team's regulation round record.

	Luleå HF
	Färjestad BK
3	Tappara
4	Vienna Capitals
5	Slovan Bratislava
6	Eisbären Berlin
7	HV71
8	Brynäs IF

External links

• European Trophy's website
• European Trophy schedule
• Red Bulls Salute's website

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