View source for IIHF Continental Cup

[[File:ContinentalCupLogo.jpg|right]]The '''Continental Cup''' is an ice hockey tournament for European clubs, begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the [[IIHF European Cup|European Cup]]. It was intended for teams from countries without representatives in the [[European Hockey League]], with participating teams chosen by the countries' respective ice hockey associations.

==Format==
The competition began in 1997-98 with 42 clubs from 26 countries, which expanded to 48 teams for the next two years. The tournament was played in seeded rounds of qualifying groups. There were three rounds of qualifying groups, with winners of qualifying groups progressing to the next round. The three winners of the third round groups entered the semifinals, along with the host club. The first round was held in September, the second in October, the third in November and the finals in December.

In the 2000-01 season, with the European Hockey League on hiatus, the Continental Cup became the de facto European club championship. The format remained the same, with 36 teams from 27 countries.

With the beginning of the [[IIHF European Champions Cup]] from 2004–05, participants included national champions of countries not in the Super Six (the top six European nations according to the [[IIHF World Ranking]]) as well as teams from Super Six leagues, which included [[HC Dynamo Moscow]] and [[HKm Zvolen]].

==Winners==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=5%|Season
!width=15%|Winner
!width=15%|Runner-up
!width=15%|Third
!width=10%|Venue
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 1998|1998]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} '''[[HC Košice|TJ VSŽ Košice]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Eisbären Berlin]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Ilves]]
|[[Tampere]], [[Finland]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 1999|1999]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} '''[[HC Ambrì-Piotta]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} [[HC Košice]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Avangard Omsk]]
|[[Košice]], [[Slovakia]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2000|2000]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} '''[[HC Ambrì-Piotta]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Eisbären Berlin]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ak Bars Kazan]]
|[[Berlin]], [[Germany]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2001|2001]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} '''[[ZSC Lions]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[London Knights (UK)|London Knights]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} [[HC Slovan Bratislava]]
|[[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2002|2002]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} '''[[ZSC Lions]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Milano Vipers|HC Milano Vipers]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} [[HKm Zvolen]]
|[[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2003|2003]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FIN}} '''[[Jokerit]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Lokomotiv Yaroslavl]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} [[HC Lugano]]
|[[Lugano]], [[Switzerland]]<br />[[Milan]], [[Italy]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2004|2004]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} '''[[HC Slovan Bratislava]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[HK Homiel|HK Gomel]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} [[HC Lugano]]
|[[Gomel]], [[Belarus]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2005|2005]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} '''[[HKm Zvolen]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[HC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Alba Volán Székesfehérvár]]
|[[Székesfehérvár]], [[Hungary]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2006|2006]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[HC Lada Togliatti|Lada Togliatti]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|LAT}} [[HK Riga 2000]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SUI}} [[ZSC Lions]]
|[[Székesfehérvár]], [[Hungary]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2007|2007]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} '''[[Yunost Minsk]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Avangard Omsk]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Ilves]]
|[[Székesfehérvár]], [[Hungary]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2008|2008]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Ak Bars Kazan]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|LAT}} [[HK Riga 2000]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Kazzinc-Torpedo]]
|[[Riga]], [[Latvia]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2009|2009]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|SVK}} '''[[MHC Martin]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Dragons de Rouen]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Bolzano-Bozen Foxes|HC Bolzano]]
|[[Rouen]], [[France]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2010|2010]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|AUT}} '''[[EC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[Yunost Minsk]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Sheffield Steelers]]
|[[Grenoble]], [[France]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2011|2011]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} '''[[Yunost Minsk]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[EC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[SønderjyskE Ishockey]]
|[[Minsk]], [[Belarus]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2012|2012]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FRA}} '''[[Dragons de Rouen]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/recap/6382.html |title=Le Miracle de Rouen |author=MARTIN MERK |date=15 January 2012 |publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]] |accessdate=16 January 2012}}</ref>
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[Yunost Minsk]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|UKR}} [[HC Donbass]]
|[[Rouen]], [[France]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2013|2013]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|UKR}} '''[[HC Donbass]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Dragons de Rouen]]
|[[Donetsk]], [[Ukraine]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2014|2014]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|NOR}} '''[[Stavanger Oilers]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|UKR}} [[HC Donbass]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[HC Asiago]]
|[[Rouen]], [[France]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2015|2015]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} '''[[HK Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Fischtown Pinguins]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Ducs d'Angers]]
|[[Bremerhaven]], [[Germany]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2016|2016]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|FRA}} '''[[Dragons de Rouen]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Herning Blue Fox]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|POL}} [[GKS Tychy (ice hockey)|GKS Tychy]]
|[[Rouen]], [[France]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2017|2017]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GBR}} '''[[Nottingham Panthers]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Beibarys Atyrau]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Odense Bulldogs]]
|[[Ritten]], [[Italy]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2018|2018]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|BLR}} '''[[Yunost Minsk]]'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Nomad Astana]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Sheffield Steelers]]
|[[Minsk]], [[Belarus]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2019|2019]]
|align=left|{{flagicon|KAZ}} '''[[Arlan Kokshetau]]'''
|align=left|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Belfast Giants]]
|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} [[GKS Katowice (ice hockey)|GKS Katowice]]
|[[Belfast]], [[United Kingdom]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2020|2020]]
|{{flagicon|DEN}} '''[[SønderjyskE Ishockey]]'''
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Nottingham Panthers]]
|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Vojens]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2021|2021]]
|colspan=4 align=center|Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic<ref>{{cite news|title=IIHF cancels Continental Cup|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/20364/iihf-cancels-continental-cup|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]|date=25 August 2020|access-date=26 August 2020}}</ref>
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2022|2022]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} '''[[KS Cracovia (ice hockey)|Cracovia]]'''
|{{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Saryarka Karagandy]]
|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Aalborg Pirates]]
|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Aalborg]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2023|2023]]
|{{flagicon|SVK}} '''[[HK Nitra]]'''
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Ducs d'Angers]]
|{{flagicon|WAL}} [[Cardiff Devils]]
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Angers]]
|-
|[[IIHF Continental Cup 2024|2024]]
|{{flagicon|KAZ}} '''[[Nomad Astana]]'''
|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Herning Blue Fox]]
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Cardiff Devils]]
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Cardiff]]
|}

==IIHF Federation Cup==

The '''Federation Cup''' was an official European [[ice hockey]] club competition created in 1995. It was the second European competition for club teams, intended for those teams who couldn't qualified for the IIHF European Cup, especially for those from eastern European countries.  It was the direct predecessor of the Continental Cup, which was played two seasons later.

===Format===
In the first year of competition, 13 Eastern European teams from twelve countries participated in the tournament. In a KO-system with three qualifying groups, which qualifies the four participants in the finals.

The following year was played in the same mode. Due to the increased number of participants (some Western European clubs had registered for the competition), an additional qualifying round was introduced.

====Federation Cup Winners====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=5%|Season
!width=20%|Winner
!width=15%|Score
!width=20%|Runner-up
!width=17%|Venue
|-
|[[IIHF Federation Cup 1995|1995]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Salavat Yulaev Ufa]]'''
|'''4–1'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|CZE}} [[HC Pardubice]]
|[[Ljubljana]], [[Slovenia]]
|-
|[[IIHF Federation Cup 1996|1996]]
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|ITA}} '''[[HC Varese|AS Mastini Varese]]'''
|'''4–3'''
|style="text-align: left;"|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]
|[[Trenčín]], [[Slovakia]]
|-
|}

==See also==

*[[Champions Hockey League]]
*[[IIHF Super Cup]]
*[[IIHF European Champions Cup|European Cup]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://eurohockey.com/league/178-continental-cup.html Continental Cup at Eurohockey.com]

{{Other European Club Ice Hockey Tournaments}}
{{Euro Leagues}}
{{IIHF}}
{{Wikipedia}}

[[Category:International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments]]
[[Category:Tournaments]]
[[Category:IIHF Continental Cup| ]]