Spengler Cup

46°47′54.4″N 9°49′35″E / 46.798444°N 9.82639°E / 46.798444; 9.82639

Spengler Cup
Most recent season or competition:
2023 Spengler Cup
Spengler Cup logo
SportIce hockey
Founded1923
FounderDr. Carl Spengler
First season1923
Organising bodyHC Davos
MottoThe Peak of Hockey
No. of teams6
CountriesSwitzerland, Canada, various other European countries
Venue(s)Eisstadion Davos (Davos, Switzerland)
Most recent
champion(s)
Switzerland HC Davos (16th)
Most titlesSwitzerland HC Davos
Canada Team Canada
(16 each)
QualificationInvitation only
TV partner(s)SUI: Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
Europe: Eurosport 2
RUS: Match TV & NTv2
GER: Sport1
CAN: TSN & RDS
USA: ESPN+
CZE / SVK / HUN: Sport1
DEN: TV2
SLO: Šport TV
SRB / CRO / BIH / MNE / MKD: Arena Sport
GBR: Viaplay
Official websitewww.spenglercup.ch/en

The Spengler Cup is an annual invitational ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team HC Davos and played each year in Davos from 26 December to 31 inclusively. Currently, all games are held at the Eisstadion Davos.

It was originally devised by Dr. Carl Spengler as a means to promote teams from German-speaking Europe, who might have suffered ostracism in the aftermath of World War I. Eventually, the tournament grew well beyond expectations. Many of Europe's most prestigious clubs and national programs have appeared, including Soviet, Czechoslovak, Swedish, German, and Finnish powerhouses. Through its history, club or national teams from 13 countries have won the tournament, with HC Davos tied with Team Canada in winning the most cups as a club (16) while various teams from Switzerland have won the most cups for one country (21).

Among non-European organizations, Team Canada, Team USA, nationally ranked U.S. collegiate teams, reigning AHL Calder Cup and Ontario Hockey Association champions, and even Team Japan (in 1971, building international experience before playing as hosts of the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics) have competed for the Spengler Cup. Since at least 1990, Team Canada has been the only participant from North America, with the exception of the AHL's Rochester Americans in 1996 and 2013. Future participation of the AHL has been discussed by tournament organisers and the league.[1]

In the 2018 tournament, Finnish club team KalPa from the city of Kuopio defeated Team Canada 2–1 in the final. The game was decided in the 8th round of a shootout, the first series of game-winning shots in tournament history that determined the winner of the Spengler Cup.

The Spengler Cup tournament was not played in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2023 tournament, HC Davos defeated Czech club team Dynamo Pardubice 5–3 in the final.

  1. ^ "WILLIAMS: Developing a European audience – the AHL has eyes on Spengler Cup". EP Rinkside. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2024.