2012 European Trophy


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. Regarding the playoffs, there were only 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, they will replace the worst second ranked team out of all four divisions.
Should at least two teams in the same division end up tied in points, the following tie-breaker format will be used:
  1. Best goal difference
  2. Most goals scored in total
  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 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, an overtime lasting for 5 minutes is played. During overtime, both teams substitute only 4 players on the ice at once. 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

DivisionTeamCityHome arena*CapacityJoined NT/ET
NorthOulun Kärpät OuluOulun Energia Areena6,6142006
NorthEisbären Berlin BerlinO2 World14,2002010
NorthRed Bull Salzburg SalzburgEisarena Salzburg3,6002010
NorthLuleå HF LuleåCoop Norrbotten Arena6,2002011
NorthKometa Brno BrnoKajot Arena7,2002011
NorthMountfield České Budějovice České BudějoviceBudvar Arena6,4212011
NorthPlzeň 1929 PlzeňČEZ Aréna8,4202011
NorthHamburg Freezers HamburgO2 World12,9472012
SouthLinköpings HC LinköpingCloetta Center8,5002006
SouthHV71 JönköpingKinnarps Arena7,0382008
SouthSparta Praha PragueTipsport Arena13,1502010
SouthPiráti Chomutov*** ChomutovMultifunkční aréna Chomutov5,2502012
SouthKalPa KuopioKuopion Jäähalli5,2252011
SouthSlovan Bratislava BratislavaSlovnaft Arena10,0002011
SouthUPC Vienna Capitals ViennaAlbert Schultz Eishalle7,0002011
SouthJYP JyväskyläSynergia-areena4,6282012
EastTPS TurkuHK Arena11,8202006
EastTappara TampereHakametsä Areena7,8002006
EastDjurgårdens IF StockholmHovet8,0942006
EastSC Bern BernPostFinance-Arena17,1312010**
EastBílí Tygři Liberec LiberecTipsport Arena7,5002011
EastČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice PardubiceČEZ Aréna10,1942011
EastBrynäs IF GävleLäkerol Arena8,5852012
EastHC Fribourg-Gottéron FribourgBCF Arena6,9002012
WestFärjestad BK KarlstadLöfbergs Lila Arena8,6472006
WestFrölunda Indians GothenburgScandinavium12,0442006
WestHIFK HelsinkiHelsinki Ice Hall8,2002006
WestJokerit HelsinkiHartwall Areena13,3492008
WestZSC Lions ZurichHallenstadion10,7002010**
WestAdler Mannheim MannheimSAP Arena10,6002010
WestERC Ingolstadt IngolstadtSaturn Arena4,8152012
WestEV Zug ZugBossard Arena7,0152012

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

West Division

North Division

South Division

East Division

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:
Runners-up of divisions:
TeamDivision
Eisbären BerlinNorth860112715+1219
Brynäs IFEast850212520+517
EV ZugWest842023021+916
Vienna CapitalsSouth832122426-214

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.
Albert Schultz Eishalle
Capacity: 7 000
Slovnaft Arena
Capacity: 10 115
– Vienna – Bratislava

Bracket

The non-home teams will be seeded according to their score in the regulation round.

Quarterfinals

All times are local.
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

All times are local.
For quarterfinal numbering, see the [|bracket] above.

Final

Time is local.

Ranking and statistics

Tournament awards

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

Scoring leaders

List shows the top skaters sorted by points, then goals. If the list exceeds 10 skaters because of a tie in points, all of the tied skaters are shown.
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIMPOS
Matt FoyEisbären Berlin23250F
Antti ErkinjunttiTappara22352F
David HruškaPiráti Chomutov32356F
Niklas OlaussonLuleå HF21452F
Cam AbbottLuleå HF231425F
Tomáš UrbanBílí Tygři Liberec33144F
Milan KraftPiráti Chomutov33142F
Jason LepineJYP22240D
Jerome FlaakeHamburg Freezers22244F
Toni KähkönenOulun Kärpät22240F
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties In Minutes; POS = Position
positions: F = Forward; D = Defenceman

Sources: and
Updated as of 19 August 2012.

Leading goaltenders

Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 40% of their team's minutes, are included in this list.
PlayerTeamTOISAGAGAASv%SO
Chet PickardDjurgårdens IF60:003200.00100.001
Joni OrtioHIFK60:003000.00100.001
Július HudáčekFrölunda Indians60:002900.00100.001
Viktor KokmanHV7160:002700.00100.001
Tomi KarhunenOulun Kärpät60:464410.9997.730
TOI = Time On Ice ; SA = Shots Against; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = Shutouts
Sources: and
Updated as of 19 August 2012.

European Star Award leaders

The European Star Award is a three stars award given to the three best players in each game. The first star gets three points, the second gets two points, and the third gets one point. List shows the top ten players based on the number of European Star Award points.
PlayerTeamGPPtsPOS
Matt FoyEisbären Berlin25F
Cam AbbottLuleå HF23F
Jack ConnollyFärjestad BK23F
Chris ConnollyTappara23F
Chet PickardDjurgårdens IF13G
Rhett RakhshaniHV7113F
Ryan GlennRed Bull Salzburg23D
Jason LepineJYP23D
Byron RitchieSC Bern23F
Ari VallinSparta Praha13D
GP = Games played; Pts = Points; POS = Position
positions: G = Goaltender; F = Forward; D = Defenceman

Source:
Updated as of 19 August 2012.