European Hockey League
The European Hockey League was a European ice hockey club competition which ran between the years 1996 and 2000. [1] Contents 1 History 2 Finals 3 See also 4 Sources 5 References History It was established in 1996 by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and commercial partner CWL Telesport and first contested in 1996–1997. In 1996–97, twenty teams played in five divisions. After home and away intra-division games, the division winners plus the three best second-placed teams went into the quarter-finals. The first winners were Finnish club TPS, who beat Russian HC Dynamo Moscow 5–2. [2] In the 1997–98 season, 24 teams competed in six divisions. The division winners and the two best second-placed teams progressed to the quarter-finals. The league was won by Austrian team VEU Feldkirch, who beat Russian side Dynamo Moscow 5–3. [3] In the 1998–99 season, 24 teams competed in six divisions. The top two in each division were paired off against...