The IIHF European Cup, also known as the Europa Cup, was a European ice hockey club competition for champions of national leagues which was contested between 1965 and 1997, governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

History

The competition was originated by Günther Sabetzki,^[1] based on the European Cup of association football (now UEFA Champions League).

The tournament encountered problems. Countries had different levels of development in ice hockey, so some teams were weaker than others, resulting in a number of uncompetitive, one-sided games. Organisational difficulties were also posed by the refusal of some Soviet Union teams to play away games in certain places. This resulted in no final being held some years, and more than one final being held in others. The competition was discontinued after 1997. In its place, the European Hockey League and the Continental Cup, and later the IIHF European Champions Cup, were started.

Format

Teams were seeded and drawn into groups of four teams, with the winners of each group progressing to the next round, where they were drawn into groups again. Each round was played over a long weekend (Friday to Sunday) in a single venue, until one final group was left, the winner of which would be considered the champion. After the European Cup was discontinued, the Continental Cup would adopt this format.

Winners

Knockout, 1965/66–1977/78

Season	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1965–66	ZKL Brno	6–4, 7–5, 6–2, 6–1	EV Füssen
1966–67	ZKL Brno	3–2, 5–4	Ilves
1967–68	ZKL Brno	3–0, 3–3	Dukla Jihlava
1968–69	CSKA Moscow	9–1, 14–3	EC KAC
1969–70	CSKA Moscow	2–3, 8–5	Spartak Moscow
1970–71	CSKA Moscow	7–0, 3–3	Dukla Jihlava
1971–72	CSKA Moscow	8–2, 8–3	Brynäs
1972–73	CSKA Moscow	6–2, 12–2	Brynäs
1973–74	CSKA Moscow	2–3, 6–1	Tesla Pardubice
1974–75	Krylya Sovetov Moscow	2–3, 7–0	Dukla Jihlava
1975–76	CSKA Moscow	6–0, 4–2	Poldi Kladno
1976–77	Poldi Kladno	4–4, 4–4 (2-1 SO)	Spartak Moscow
1977–78	CSKA Moscow	3–1	Poldi Kladno

Group, 1978/79–1989/90

Season	Winner	Runner-up	Third	Venue
1978–79	CSKA Moscow	Poldi Kladno	Ässät	Innsbruck, Austria
1979–80	CSKA Moscow	Tappara	Slovan Bratislava	Innsbruck, Austria
1980–81	CSKA Moscow	HIFK	Poldi Kladno	Urtijëi, Italy
1981–82	CSKA Moscow	TJ Vítkovice	SC Riessersee	Düsseldorf, West Germany
1982–83	CSKA Moscow	Dukla Jihlava	Tappara	Tampere, Finland
1983–84	CSKA Moscow	Dukla Jihlava	Dynamo Berlin	Urtijëi, Italy
1984–85	CSKA Moscow	Kölner EC	Dukla Jihlava	Megève, France
1985–86	CSKA Moscow	Södertälje SK	SB Rosenheim	Rosenheim, West Germany
1986–87	CSKA Moscow	TJ VSŽ Košice	Färjestad BK	Lugano, Switzerland
1987–88	CSKA Moscow	Tesla Pardubice	Tappara	Davos, Switzerland
1988–89	CSKA Moscow	TJ VSŽ Košice	Kölner EC	Cologne, West Germany
1989–90	CSKA Moscow	TPS	Djurgårdens IF	Berlin, West Germany

Knockout, 1990–1996

Season	Winner	Score	Runner-up	Venue
1990	Djurgårdens IF	3–2	Dynamo Moscow	Düsseldorf, Germany
1991	Djurgårdens IF	7–2	Düsseldorfer EG	Düsseldorf, Germany
1992	Malmö IF	3–3 (1-0 SO)	Dynamo Moscow	Düsseldorf, Germany
1993	TPS	4–3	Dynamo Moscow	Düsseldorf, Germany
1994	Jokerit	4–2	Lada Togliatti	Helsinki, Turku, Finland
1995	Jokerit	3–3 (3-2 SO)	Kölner Haie	Cologne, Germany
1996	Lada Togliatti	4–3 (OT)	Modo	Düsseldorf, Germany

Source:^[2]

By nation

Performance by nation

Nation	Winners	Runners-up	third
Soviet Union  Russia	22	6	0
Czechoslovakia	4	13	2
Finland	3	4	3
Sweden	3	4	2
West Germany East Germany  Germany	0	4	4
Austria	0	0	1