The 2009/10 season of the Champions Hockey League was the planned, but not implemented, second edition of the competition of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF . The CHL was the highest competition in European club ice hockey . In the competition, which was to be played between September 2009 and January 2010, a total of 29 teams from 22 nations took part - in comparison to the previous year, the number of participants doubled and the number of participating countries tripled.
In the 2009/10 season, a total of 29 clubs from the 22 European top leagues on the IIHF league rankings were to take part. The champions of the leagues in 2009 and, as a rule, the winners of the main rounds from the best seven nations were eligible to participate. If the main round winner was also champion, the runner-up in the main round moved up.
The previous year's winner was not automatically qualified due to the competition regulations and also had to do this via the national championship. Since last year's winner, ZSC Lions Zurich, did not succeed, he was unable to defend his title.
The participants in the first qualifying round were:
Field of participants in the 2009/10 season Participants in the group stage (red), the second qualifying round (green) and the first qualifying round (blue)
Possible reduction in the field of participants
Due to the ongoing financial crisis , the International Ice Hockey Federation announced for the first time in the context of the men's ice hockey world championship 2009 , which took place in Switzerland between the end of April and the beginning of May , that the actually decided expansion of the field of participants might not be completed. It is more likely that 14 teams from the seven best nations will play in the same way as last year.
Cancellation of the competition
After the already planned reduction of the field of participants, the IIHF finally decided on June 15, 2009 to completely cancel the competition for the upcoming season. This was in connection with the announcement by the investor group around Gazprom that it would not be able to fulfill the contracts with the IIHF due to the financial crisis. Instead, the National Hockey League could be won as a new investor. However, both parties agreed that they would only work together for the 2010/11 season.
HC Slovan Bratislava (second in the main round of the Slovnaft Extraliga )
SC Bern (main round winner of the National League A )
Hannover Scorpions (second in the main round of the German Ice Hockey League )
HK Junost Minsk (Master of the Ekstraliga )
HK Liepājas Metalurgs (Master of Samsung Premjerlīga )
Sønderjysk Elitesport Vojens ( Superisligaen Champion )
EC KAC Klagenfurt (winner of the Austrian State Championship )
Barys Astana (winner of the Kazakh Championship )
Vålerenga IF Oslo ( GET league champions )
Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble (Masters of Ligue Magnus )
HK Acroni Jesenice (Champion of the Slovenian Ice Hockey League )
HC Bozen (champions of Serie A )
Alba Volán Székesfehérvár (Master of Mayor I. Bajnokság )
KS Cracovia Krakau (Master of the Ekstraliga )
HYS The Hague (Master of the Eredivisie )
HK Sokol Kiev (Master of the Wyschtscha Liha )
Sheffield Steelers ( Elite Ice Hockey League Regular Season Champion )
SC Miercurea Ciuc (Champion of the Liga Naţională de hochei ).svg){kind=small}
Salawat Yulayev Ufa (main round winner of the Continental Hockey League )
Espoo Blues (second in the main round of the SM-liiga )
HC Slavia Prague (main round winner of the O₂ Extraliga )
Linköpings HC (second in the main lap of the Elitserien )
