Hailed as the first major professionally based, hockey league, the European Hockey League (EHL) is in its sixth season of operation. Since EHL’s induction professional hockey has taken ‘roots’ with the additional International leagues ‘sprouting up’ in the southern hemisphere, i.e., Bridgestone World hockey Series (which is now defunct due to HHIL introduction) in 2012 and the Hero Hockey India League in 2013/2014. These events are paving the way for hockey to grow as a professional sport globally. They bring with their induction much needed financial growth to the sport (both for players and supporting organisations) and greater promotion of hockey as a sport to all through increased media support.
About EHL
With the aim of developing club hockey at an international level, the European Hockey Federation, in co-operation with Dutch sports marketing and media agency PRO SPORT, introduced the Euro Hockey League (EHL), the exciting new format that replaced the men’s European Cup competition at the start of the 2007/08 season.
EHL’s existing shareholders – the European Hockey Federation, PRO SPORT and new joint shareholder Infostrada Sports– believe that this unique international competition can be developed even further and taken to a whole new level, especially in the area of cross media innovations. Additional improvements are envisioned to further validate the league’s claim that the EHL is “The best way hockey has ever been presented”.
In Europe, club hockey is at the heart and base of the sport, with players spending 30 to 35 weeks per year training and playing with their clubs. Euro Hockey League sets out to promote and reinforce the status of club level hockey by creating new and more opportunities for the big European clubs to play each other in the international arena and giving club hockey more exposure, more spectators, more high quality TV coverage and a broader media and marketing platform.
The target group for Euro Hockey League, its TV partners and sponsors consists of millions of European sports fans in countries across the continent, with Euro Hockey League designed to attract interest from not only hockey fans but sports fans in general. This will be achieved by the professional marketing of the competition by established Dutch sports marketing and media agency PRO SPORT, the production and provision of top level coverage by Infostrada Sports makes the EHL content available for anyone, anywhere and on all possible devices, and through a number of format variations introduced to make the game more transparent and attractive to TV viewers and spectators on site.
When it comes to innovation, the Euro Hockey League has long been seen as Hockey’s leading light, having pioneered many rule changes that have revolutionized the sport on a global level. EHL’s introduction of the Self Pass – where in the event of a foul a player can restart the game by dribbling with the ball rather than having to pass to a team-mate – was universally applauded for making the game more exciting than it has ever been. The Self Pass was quickly introduced to the FIH Rules of Hockey and has unquestionably changed the game forever. Many other EHL innovations have been introduced at the highest level, including the Green Card two minute suspension, video umpire referrals and an exciting new penalty shoot-out format which sees a running face-off between the penalty taker and the goal-keeper. The EHL recently trialled a rule which allowed the ball to be played above the shoulder in non-dangerous positions. It was a phenomenal success, and has become the latest rule change to be trialled by the FIH at their World Level events (but now to be removed by FIH). The EHL truly is a laboratory for the continued development of the sport.
The first six seasons of the EHL have been a staggering success. However, it doesn’t stop here. Euro Hockey League is more than top hockey and excellent media coverage – it is the best way hockey has ever been presented.
EHL competition structure
The tournament features 24 clubs from the twelve highest ranked EHF member countries . Although the competition is called the Euro Hockey League, after Round 1 the competition is knock-out, rather than league format (similar to the UEFA Champions League in football). Each year the 24 available league places are allocated between twelve EHF member countries’ National Associations, depending on those National Association’s EHF Club Ranking. National Associations ranked 1-4 in the EHL Ranking Table may enter three teams each in the Euro Hockey League, while National Associations ranked 5-8 may enter two teams each, and National Associations ranked 9-12 one team.
National Associations rankings are derived from each country’s results in the Euro Hockey League and Euro Hockey Club Trophy over the previous 3 years, with the points in the earlier years discounted by 50% (year 2) and 75% (year 1). This ranking of National Associations is based on the performance of all their clubs in the Euro Hockey League and Euro Hockey Club Trophy. The total number of points won by clubs from each country is divided by the number of clubs to which the National Association was entitled in that year’s competitions.
Each qualifying National Association is required to enter their national champion club, but is otherwise free to decide the system of qualification for their own clubs for any remaining places to which they are entitled that year. To be eligible to play in the Euro Hockey League a country must enter 2 clubs in the EHF club competition
The Euro Hockey League consists of five rounds.
Round 1 of the Euro Hockey League starts the tournament with a ROUND – ROBIN group stage. The league’s 24 clubs are drawn in eight pools of three clubs, and each club in a pool plays the other 2 clubs in their pool once. The top 2 clubs in each pool go forward into Round 2. Round 1 is usually played on the second and fourth weekends in October, with matches being played at two venues.
Round 2 (KO16) and Round 3 (KO8/quarter-finals) sees the tournament switch to a straight knock out format. The sixteen clubs that progressed from Round 1 each play one match in Round 2, and the winners of those 8 matches each play another match in Round 3 (quarter-finals) to leave just four clubs. Rounds 2 and 3 are played over the Easter long weekend, usually at a single venue.
Round 4 (semi-final) and Round 5 (final, and 3 place playoff) are played at Whitsan at a single venue.
Sponsorship
With strong media support the doors open for sponsors to gain valuable returns for substantial investments. The much improved presentation and packaging of the Euro Hockey League has attracted a number of high profile sponsors, most notably Dutch bank ABN AMRO, who are the presenting sponsor of the tournament. Volvo and Intersport are also named sponsors of the Euro Hockey League, while partnerships have been formed with McGregor, ErmaSport, ATP – The Advanced Travel Partner and Dutch advertising agency Ideas for Brands. In addition to sponsorship spectator gate takings form another good income source. Approximate pricing for the round 1 matches on all days are €11,50 ( 1 Euro€ equals AUD $1.50 ) for an adult ticket. Three-day-passes cost € 27,50 for adults and € 10,00 for kids. A regular day ticket for kids cost € 5,00 (6-16 years).
PRIZEMONEY
The winning club receives 20,000 euros (AUD $30,000); the second place club receives 10,000 euros; and the third place club receives 5,000 euros. The best player of the tournament gets a personal cheque of 5,000 euros. The EHL’s main sponsor, ABN AMRO , sponsors the prize money for the most valuable player. [source: Wikkipedia: EHL – 2013].
As a comparison, the current prize money for the 2014 Hero Hockey League is for the winning team approximately AUD $500,000 and the best player will receive approximately AUD $50,000.
Both the prize pools for EHL and HHIL are evidence of hockey climbing up the ranks in terms of becoming a professional sport. With your media viewing support alone you can help grow these hockey leagues. Both EHL and HHIL have live streaming and TV coverage for you to ‘tune in’ to these events. You can access both events through http://gohockey/hockey-tv
Source: adapted ehlhockey.tv
