Why the Spengler Cup rules

The World Juniors are around the corner, and hockey fans (myself included) are fired up for hockey. But there’s a lesser-known tournament that occurs around the holiday season that I want to show some love to, and that’s the Spengler Cup. I love the Spengler Cup. It’s got techno music, ads on everything imaginable, referees dressed as cows, teams I’ve never even heard of, and its played in what might be the most beautiful venue in sports. It's just craziness. What's not to love?

What exactly is this craziness I speak of? It's an invitational tournament hosted by HC Davos from Switzerland, and it is not a club Championship. Canada sends a team of players based in various European leagues, while the rest are usually European club teams, although there have been NCAA teams, AHL teams, and Team USAs at various times too. It’s basically just random assortment of teams and players, and it creates the best kind of chaos.

The current format sees six teams invited and they are split into two groups of 3, The groups and schedule are unknown until the first day of the tournament. Each group plays a round robin to determined standings. A win gets you 3 points, an overtime loss 1 point, and a regulation loss zero points. The top team in each group gets a bye to the semi-finals. The second place in group 1 plays the third place from group 2, second in 2 plays third in group 1. The winners then move on to play the group leaders, and those winners meet for the championship game at Noon on New Years Eve.

NHL lockout years have also been a boon to the tournament in previous years, as NHL stars tend to go play in Europe, they will give club teams and Team Canada a boost in quality of play, TV ratings, and attendance. In 2005 many active NHL players saw action in the tournament, such as Jonas Hiller, Martin St. Louis, Joe Thornton, Rick Nash, Sergei Gonchar, Patrik Elias, and Petr Sýkora. Team Canada opted not to include NHL players on the roster that year, but still made it to the finals. The 2012 edition came during another lockout season, and Team Canada decided to take advantage. Patrice Bergeron, Jason Spezza, Devan Dubnyk, and Ryan Smythe were some of the players to wear the red and white. Club Teams were also given a boost, with players such as Rick Nash, Patrick Kane, and Joe Thornton on taking the ice. Canada would win the 2012 tournament final 7-2 over hosts HC Davos.

Also, look at that arena. That might be the coolest place ever to play or watch a hockey game. It’s honestly a bucket list item for me to go to a Spengler Cup. Who doesn’t want to spend a week during the holidays in the beautiful Swiss Alps watching hockey here? Tell me I’m wrong. Unfortunately, this years edition has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and well, that just sucks. All that being said, enjoy the holidays, and I hope you know a bit more about those games that are usually on in between the World Juniors.