Plenty of Nothing

Frölunda HC in the Champions Hockey League

Luleå and Frölunda are well acquainted. Source.

It's the return leg of the Champions Hockey League semi-finals. The games:

Mountfield [3 - 0] Djurgården

Luleå [1 - 3] Frölunda

Frölunda are the damned Yankees of this competition, have won three of the five finals. (Or three of six if you include 2008-09.) They were runners-up one other time. Liberec heroically knocked them out in the Round of 16 in 2017-18.

Frölunda are reigning champions of Sweden. Currently they sit in fourth place in the SHL. Luleå are top of the league.

[Mountfield and Frölunda advance to the final.]

Frölunda HC in the Champions Hockey League:

2014-15

GS    2014-8-21      Genève-Servette 4 - 3 Frölunda

GS    2014-8-23      Diables Rouges de Briançon 1 - 7 Frölunda

GS    2014/9/4        Frölunda 7 - 3 Genève-Servette

GS    2014/9/7        Frölunda 5 - 2 EC VSV

GS    2014/9/24      Frölunda 6 - 2 Diables Roude de Briançon

GS    2014/10/7      EC VSV 1 - 7 Frölunda

 16    2014/11/4      Tappara Tampere 1 - 5 Frölunda

 16    2014/11/11    Frölunda 4 - 2 Tappara Tampere

QF    2014/12/2      HIFK 2 - 1 Frölunda

QF    2014/12/9      Frölunda 5 - 3 HIFK

SF    2015/1/13      Frölunda 4 - 2 Kärpät

SF    2015/1/20      Kärpät 3 - 2 Frölunda

  F    2015/2/3        Luleå 4 - 2 Frölunda

2015-16

GS    2015/8/20      Frölunda 9 - 1 Sheffield Steelers

GS    2015/8/28      Frölunda 3 - 2 JYP

GS    2015/9/3        JYP 1 - 4 Frölunda

GS    2015/9/5        Sheffield Steelers 1 - 4 Frölunda

 32    2015/9/29      ERC Ingolstadt 4 - 2 Frölunda

 32    2015/10/6      Frölunda 4 - 1 ERC Ingolstadt

 16    2015/11/3      Litvínov 2 - 1 Frölunda

 16    2015/11/10    Frölunda 6 - 0 Litvínov

QF    2015/12/1      Luleå 3 - 2 Frölunda

QF    2015/12/8      Frölunda 5 - 4 Luleå (Frölunda won SO.)

SF    2016/1/12      Davos 0 - 5 Frölunda

SF    2016/1/19      Frölunda 1 - 1 Davos

  F    2016/2/9        Kärpät 1 - 2 Frölunda

2016-17

GS    2016/8/19      Grizzlys Wolfsburg 1 - 2 Frölunda

GS    2016/8/21      Pardubice 2 - 2 Frölunda (Pardubice won SO.)

GS    2016/8/27      Frölunda 5 - 2 Pardubice

GS    2016/9/9        Frölunda 2 - 3 Grizzlys Wolfsburg

 32    2016/10/4      Yunost Minsk 3 - 2 Frölunda

 32    2016/10/11    Frölunda 5 - 0 Yunost Minsk

 16    2016/11/1      Eisbären Berlin 1 - 6 Frölunda

 16    2016/11/8      Frölunda 4 - 1 Eisbären Berlin

QF    2016/12/6      Frölunda 4 - 0 Linköping

QF    2016/12/13    Linköping 2 - 5 Frölunda

SF    2017/1/10      Frölunda 5 - 1 Fribourg-Gottéron

SF    2017/1/17      Fribourg-Gottéron 0 - 4 Frölunda

  F    2017/2/7        Frölunda 4 - 3 Sparta Prague

2017-18

GS    2017/8/24      Frölunda 5 - 4 ZSC Lions

GS    2017/8/26      Frölunda 2 - 1 EC Klagenfurter

GS    2017/8/31      EC Klagenfurter 2 - 4 Frölunda

GS    2017/9/2        ZSC Lions 1 - 2 Frölunda

GS    2017/10/3      Frölunda 5 - 2 Rapaces de Gap

GS    2017/10/10    Rapaces de Gap 1 - 3 Frölunda

 16    2017/10/31    Liberec 2 - 3 Frölunda

 16    2017/11/7      Frölunda 4 - 6 Liberec

2018-19

GS    2018/8/30      Vienna Capitals 1 - 4 Frölunda

GS    2018/9/1        ZSC Lions 2 - 2 Frölunda (ZSC won SO.)

GS    2018/9/6        Frölunda 4 - 2 ZSC Lions

GS    2018/9/8        Frölunda 1 - 4 Vienna Capitals

GS    2018/10/9      Frölunda 6 - 0 Aalborg Pirates

GS    2018/10/16    Aalborg Pirates 1 - 5 Frölunda

 16    2018/11/6      Lugano 1 - 1 Frölunda

 16    2018/11/20    Frölunda 5 - 4 Lugano

QF    2018/12/4      Kometa Brno 1 - 4 Frölunda

QF    2018/12/11    Frölunda 6 - 1 Kometa Brno

SF    2019/1/8        Frölunda 6 - 3 Plzeň

SF    2019/1/15      Plzeň 1 - 3 Frölunda

  F    2019/2/5        Frölunda 3 - 1 Red Bull München

2019-20

GS    2019/8/30      Frölunda 5 - 5 Graz 99ers (99ers won SO.)

GS    2019/9/1        Frölunda 2 - 3 Mountfield

GS    2019/9/5        Graz 99er 1 - 5 Frölunda

GS    2019/9/7        Mountfield 3 - 4 Frölunda

GS    2019/10/8      Frölunda 9 - 2 Cardiff Devils

GS    2019/10/15    Cardiff Devils 2 - 9 Frölunda

 16    2019/11/12    Färjestad 6 - 3 Frölunda

 16    2019/11/19    Frölunda 8 - 2 Färjestad

QF    2019/12/3      Frölunda 2 - 3 Biel

QF    2019/12/10    Biel 3 - 5 Frölunda

SF    2019/1/7        Frölunda 2 - 3 Luleå

Kohlrabizirkus

Source.

Icefighters Leipzig host Tilburg Trappers at their rink in the renovated market building known as Kolrabizikus.

Canadian Ian Farrell plays for the Icefighters.

Which teams in the top three tiers of German hockey are located in the former GDR?

DEL: Eisbären Berlin

DEL2: Eispiraten Crimmitschau, Dresdner Eislöwen, Lausitzer Füchse

Oberliga: Black Dragons Erfurt, Saale Bulls Halle, Icefighters Leipzig, Rostock Piranhas

The East German Oberliga famously operated with only two clubs from 1970 to 1990. Both clubs still exist. SC Dynamo Berlin turned into Eisbären Berlin of the DEL. SG Dynamo Weißwasser became Lausiter Füchse of DEL2.

[Tilburg win 5 - 1.]

Mountfield HK in the Champions Hockey League

It's the first leg of the Champions Hockey League semi-finals. The games are:

Djurgården [1 - 3] Mountfield

Frölunda [2 - 3] Luleå

Mountfield HK in the Champions Hockey League:

2017-18

GS    2017/8/24      Mountfield 5 - 1 TPS Turku

GS    2017/8/26      Mountfield 2 - 4 Nottingham Panthers

GS    2017/8/31      Nottingham Panthers 4 - 3 Mountfield

GS    2017/9/2        TPS Turku 3 - 1 Mountfield

GS    2017/10/4      Mountfield 5 - 4 Bern

GS    2017/10/10    Bern 5 - 2 Mountfield

2018-19

GS    2018/8/31      Mountfield 1 - 2 Nuremburg Ice Tigers

GS    2018/9/2        Mountfield 3 - 2 Dragons de Rouen

GS    2018/9/7        Nuremburg 4 - 3 Mountfield

GS    2018/9/9        Dragons de Rouen 2 - 0 Mountfield

GS    2018/10/9      Kärpät 3 - 2 Mountfield

GS    2018/10/17    Mountfield 3 - 4 Kärpät

2019-20

GS    2019/8/30      Cardiff Devils 3 - 2 Mountfield

GS    2019/9/1        Frölunda 2 - 3 Mountfield

GS    2019/9/5        Mountfield 5 - 2 Cardiff Devils

GS    2019/9/7        Mountfield 3 - 4 Frölunda

GS    2019/10/8      Graz 99ers 1 - 2 Mountfield

GS    2019/10/16    Mountfield 7 - 1 Graz 99ers

 16    2019/11/13    Mountfield 1 - 0 Adler Mannheim

 16    2019/11/19    Adler Mannheim 1 - 1 Mountfield

QF    2019/12/3      Mountfield 1 - 1 Zug

QF    2019/12/10    Zug 0 - 4 Mountfield

Tilburg Trappers versus Hannover Indians

Trappers and Indians, two European clubs trying to sound authentically Canadian. Source.

The Indians are one of two Hanover teams in the Oberliga Nord -- their crosstown rivals are the Scorpions. The club was formed in 1948, and made it up to the DEL for two years in 1994-95 and 1995-96. In 2013 the club underwent bankruptcy and was dumped from the 2. Bundesliga to the Oberliga, where they have played since.

Canadians playing for the Hannover Indians: Kristian Hufsky, Aaron Beally, Michael Burns.

How do you spell Hanover? One n in English, two in German.

[Trappers win 1 - 0 in OT.]

2019 Spengler Cup

Ambrì-Piotta versus Davos in Swiss league play. Source.

It's Spengler Cup time again. This is the 97th Spengler Cup if you count the years when it wasn't played; otherwise it's the 93rd. (It wasn't played in 1939, 1940, 1949 or 1956.)

HC Davos have won the cup 15 times, most recently in 2011. Although they have always been the host club for this cup, they have not always played in it. Currently fourth in the Swiss NLA.

Team Canada have also won 15 times, most recently in 2017. Craig MacTavish is head coach. The roster is here. Thirteen play in the Swiss league, plus one each from the KHL, the SHL, the Liiga, the EBEL, the Slovak Extraliga, the AHL, the ECHL, US college and Canadian college hockey.

HC Ambrì-Piotta. Ambrì-Piotta play in the top Swiss league, and are rivals to HC Lugano, the other big team in Italian-speaking Ticino. Ambrì-Piotta have been Swiss champions once, in 1962. Currently they are in ninth place in the NLA. Canadian NHL veteran Matt D'Agostini plays for them.

HC Oceláři Třinec appeared in last year's tournament and lost to Davos in the quarterfinals. They are fifth in the Czech Extraliga. Canadian Patrick Kudla plays for them.

Salavat Yulaev Ufa were runners-up in 2007 and 2014. Right now they're third in the Chernyshev Division of the KHL.

TPS Turku took part in the 2001 and 2002 Spengler Cups. They are fifteenth in the Finnish Liiga. TPS is possibly the only hockey club on Earth to have a medicine ball in its logo.

Ambrì-Piotta and Třinec both appeared in the 2019-20 Champions Hockey League. Neither one made it past the group stage.

[Team Canada beat Třinec 4 - 0 in the final.]

Tilburg Trappers versus Moskitos Essen

Trappers versus Moskitos. Source.

Tilburg Trappers are the best hockey team in the Netherlands -- so good in fact that they quit the Dutch league in 2015 and joined the German Oberliga in search of stiffer competition, and have won that league three of the last four years.

The German Oberliga was founded in 1948 and was for a time the top league in the country. It now functions as the third tier behind the DEL and DEL2. There are two divisions, each of twelve teams. The South section is made up entirely of teams from Bavaria. The North section includes teams from North Germany, including the former East Germany, and Tilburg.

Tilburg, in North Brabant, is the sixth-largest Dutch city. Tilburg Trappers were founded in 1938. They have been Dutch champion 15 times.

Tilburg's Ryan Collier has joint Canadian/Dutch citizenship.

Moskitos Essen were founded in 1999, but represent a lineage of Essen hockey clubs going back to 1935. They wear a very Nineties colour combo of purple, red and teal.Canadians: Keven Beech, Peter Leblanc, Aaron McLeod.

Essen is a major industrial city in the Ruhr Valley.

We join the 2019-20 Oberliga Nord season already in progress. After 21 games Tilburg hold first place. Essen are tenth.

Learn about the history of Tilburg Trappers here. Then watch a video about the guys who sharpen the skates and fill the water bottles.

[Trappers win 7 - 4.]

Red Bull München in the Champions Hockey League

Red Bull München versus Red Bull Salzburg in the 2018-19 Champions Hockey League. They all wore the same hats. Source.

It's the return leg of the Champions Hockey League quarter-finals.

Red Bull München 0 - 3 Djurgården

Luleå 5 - 2 Lausanne

Djurgården and Luleå advance.

Red Bull München in the Champions Hockey League:

2015-16

GS    2015/8/20      Košice 2 - 4 Red Bull München

GS    2015/8/23      Klagenfurter 1 - 4 Red Bull München

GS    2015/8/25      Red Bull München 1 - 0 Košice

GS    2015/9/6        Red Bull München 6 - 1 Klagenfurter

 32    2015/9/22      Lukko 5 - 3 Red Bull München

 32    2015/10/6      Red Bull München 0 - 3 Lukko

2016-17

GS    2016/8/20      Fribourg-Gottéron 3 - 0 Red Bull München

GS    2016/8/23      Orli Znojmo 3 - 4 Red Bull München

GS    2016/9/6        Red Bull München 3 - 1 Fribourg-Gottéron

GS    2016/9/9        Red Bull München 7 - 0 Orli Znojmo

 32    2016/10/4      Red Bull München 1 - 1 Växjö Lakers

 32    2016/10/11    Växjö Lakers 4 - 3 Red Bull München

2017-18

GS    2017/8/25      Red Bull München 6 - 2 Cracovia

GS    2017/8/27      Red Bull München 4 - 1 HIFK

GS    2017/9/1        Cracovia 1 - 2 Red Bull München

GS    2017/9/3        HIFK 2 - 4 Red Bull München

GS    2017/10/3      Red Bull München 2 - 3 Brynäs

GS    2017/10/10    Brynäs 2 - 3 Red Bull München

 16    2017/10/31    Bern 2 - 3 Red Bull München

 16    2017/11/7      Red Bull München 2 - 5 Bern

2018-19

GS    2018/8/31      Red Bull München 4 - 3 Yunost Minsk

GS    2018/9/2        Red Bull München 5 - 1 TPS Turku

GS    2018/9/6        TPS Turku 5 - 3 Red Bull München

GS    2018/9/9        Yunost Minsk 0 - 3 Red Bull München

GS    2018/10/9      Red Bull München 3 - 2 Malmö

GS    2018/10/16    Malmö 6 - 1 Red Bull München

 16    2018/11/6      Red Bull München 2 - 3 Zug

 16    2018/11/20    Zug 0 - 2 Red Bull München

QF    2018/12/4      Red Bull München 2 - 1 Malmö

QF    2018/12/11    Malmö 5 - 5 Red Bull München

SF    2019/1/8        Red Bull München 0 - 0 Red Bull Salzburg

SF    2019/1/16      Red Bull Salzburg 1 - 3 Red Bull München

  F    2019/2/5        Frölunda 3 - 1 Red Bull München

2019-20

GS    2019/8/29      Red Bull München 3 - 0 Ambrì-Piotta

GS    2019/8/31      Red Bull München 3 - 0 Banská Bystrica

GS    2019/9/5        Banská Bystrica 2 - 2 Red Bull München (Banská won SO.)

GS    2019/9/7        Ambrì-Piotta 2 - 2 Red Bull München (München won SO.)

GS    2019/10/8      Red Bull München 2 - 1 Färjestad

GS    2019/10/15    Färjestad 3 - 1 Red Bull München

 16    2019/11/12    Yunost Minsk 2 - 3 Red Bull München

 16    2019/11/20    Red Bull München 6 - 0 Yunost Minsk

87th All-Japan Ice Hockey Championship

Ice Bucks' captain, Hiroto Sato. Source.

December 6

Match No. 1: Meiji University [1 - 2] Tohoku Free Blades

Match No. 2: Oji Eagles [5 - 1] Chuo University

Match No. 3: Dynax [1 - 6] Tochigi Nikko Ice Bucks

Match No. 4: Higashi Hokkaido Cranes [3 - 0] Kansai University Kaisers

December 7

Match No. 5: [Oji Eagles 3 - 4 Tohoku Free Blades]

Match No. 6: [Higashi Hokkaido Cranes 3 - 4 Tochigi Nikko Ice Bucks]

December 8

Match No. 7: [Oji Eagles 3 - 0 Higashi Hokkaido Cranes]

Match No. 8: [Tohoku Free Blades 1 - 5 Tochigi Nikko Ice Bucks]

Tochigi Nikko Ice Bucks are champions of Japan.

Lausanne HC in the Champions Hockey League

Source.

It's the first leg of the Champions Hockey League quarter-finals. We're following the teams that play the teams that beat the teams we were following in the last round.

Lausanne 1 - 2 Luleå

Djurgården 5 - 1 Red Bull München

Lausanne HC finished third in the Swiss league last season. The club was founded in 1922, but they have never been champions of Switzerland. They moved into a new arena this year after two seasons playing in a temporary facility made of aluminum.

Lausanne HC in the Champions Hockey League:

2019-20

GS    2019/8/30      Yunost Minsk 3 - 2 Lausanne

GS    2019/9/1        Pelicans Lahti 4 - 4 Lausanne (Lausanne won SO.)

GS    2019/9/6        Lausanne 3 - 2 Yunost Minsk

GS    2019/9/8        Lausanne 3 - 3 Pelicans Lahti (Lausanne won SO.)

GS    2019/10/9      Třinec 2 - 1 Lausanne

GS    2019/10/15    Lausanne 5 - 3 Třinec

 16    2019/11/12    Plzeň 1 - 2 Lausanne

 16    2019/11/19    Lausanne 5 - 4 Plzeň

Djurgården in the Champions Hockey League

Djurgårdens IF in 1957. Source.

It's the return leg of the Round of 16. The games we're interested in are:

Luleå [4 - 2] Bern

Djurgården [4 - 1] Skellefteå

[Luleå and Djurgården advance.]

Skellefteå vs Djurgården are both members of the Svenska Hockeyligan, where they have played twice so far this season:

Oct 17: Djurgården 1 - 3 Skellefteå

Oct 31: Skellefteå 4 - 0 Djurgården

Djurgården in the Champions Hockey League:

2014-15

GS    2014/8/21      Djurgården 5 - 4 Fribourg-Gottéron

GS    2014/8/24      Zlín 3 - 1 Djurgården

GS    2014/9/5        Djurgården 3 - 2 Eisbären Berlin

GS    2014/9/7        Eisbären Berlin 3 - 3 Djurgården (Eisbären won SO.)

GS    2014/9/23      Djurgården 8 - 0 Zlín

GS    2014/10/7      Fribourg-Gottéron 3 - 1 Djurgården

2015-16

GS    2015/8/20      Djurgården 2 - 4 Tappara Tampere

GS    2015/8/27      Tappara Tampere 2 - 3 Djurgården

GS    2015/8/29      Zug 2 - 3 Djurgården

GS    2015/9/4        Djurgården 5 - 3 Zug

 32    2015/9/22      Djurgården 4 - 3 Växjö Lakers

 32    2015/10/6      Växjö Lakers 3 - 3 Djurgården

 16    2015/11/3      Djurgården 1 - 2 Lukko

 16    2015/11/10    Lukko 2 - 1 Djurgården

2016-17

GS    2016/8/21     Djurgården 4 - 0 Dragons de Rouen

GS    2016/8/27      Djurgården 6 - 0 Davos

GS    2016/9/2        Davos 3 - 1 Djurgården

GS    2016/9/10      Dragons de Rouen 3 - 4 Djurgården

 32    2016/10/4      KalPa 2 - 0 Djurgården

 32    2016/10/11    Djurgården 2 - 1 KalPa

2018-19

GS    2018/8/31      Třinec 1 - 6 Djurgården

GS    2018/9/2        Storhamar 2 - 3 Djurgården

GS    2018/9/7        Djurgården 3 - 4 Třinec

GS    2018/9/9        Djurgården 5 - 2 Storhamar

GS    2018/10/9      Djurgården 3 - 5 Tappara Tampere

GS    2018/10/16    Tappara Tampere 5 - 1 Djurgården

2019-20

GS    2019/8/30      GKS Tychy 2 - 6 Djurgården

GS    2019/9/1        Vienna Capitals 1 - 2 Djurgården

GS    2019/9/6        Djurgården 3 - 6 Vienna Capitals

GS    2019/9/8        Djurgården 2 - 0 GKS Tychy

GS    2019/10/8      Djurgården 6 - 3 Adler Mannheim

GS    2019/10/15    Adler Mannheim 2 - 1 Djurgården