The 2016–17 Champions Hockey League Group Stage Draw will take place Tuesday, 3 May 2016 in Zurich. Fans around the globe can watch the livestream at www.championshockeyleague.net.
Press Release
The Draw includes the total of 48 teams from 13 leagues which will be divided into 16 groups of three. The seeding for the Draw will be announced as soon as all CHL participants are determined.
The 2016–17 CHL Group Stage Draw takes place in Studio 6 of the Swiss public television station SRF, which is one of the host broadcasters of the Champions Hockey League. The show will be presented by Jann Billeter, a well-known sports presenter at SRF and his main guest is Roger Ronnberg, head coach of the CHL champions Frolunda Gothenburg.
2016–17 playing format
The Group Stage of the 2016–17 season will begin on 18 August (16 August for Swiss teams) and finish on 11 September. Each team will play four games – one home and one away against the other two teams in its group. The first- and second-placed teams in each group will then advance to the Playoff Stage.
With 32 teams in the playoffs, five rounds will be required to determine the European club champion. The first four rounds will all be two-game, home-and-away, total-goal series, similar to the previous seasons. The playoffs will begin on 4 October and finish with a one-game Final on 7 February 2017.
FAQ
Below are some common questions about the Champions Hockey League Group Stage Draw and the 2016–17 season.
When and where does the Draw take place?
The CHL Group Stage Draw takes place on 3 May at 12:00 CET at SRF studios in Zurich.
Can I watch the Draw live?
Absolutely, the draw will be streamed live at www.championshockeyleague.net.
What is the Draw procedure?
The teams will be placed in three baskets, according to the ranking which will be published as soon all CHL participants are determined. First all teams from Basket 1 will be drawn, followed by the teams in Basket 2 and the teams in Basket 3.
Can teams from the same country be drawn against each other?
No, national clashes are not possible in the Group Stage of the Champions Hockey League. However, there is one exception this year: Orli Znojmo qualified via the Austrian EBEL league and is therefore handled as an Austrian representative in the CHL. They are not connected to the Czech Extraliga in any way and that’s why it is possible that Czech teams play against Znojmo in the Group Stage.
When does the 2016–17 Group Stage start?
Swiss teams might already start on 16 August due to the fact that their national league starts earlier than the other leagues. Other teams start 18 August. The Group Stage ends 11 September.
How do the Olympic qualification tournaments affect the CHL?
The Champions Hockey League faces an extra challenge this summer: The final qualification tournaments for the 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in the middle of the CHL Group Stage (1 – 4 September), including the national teams of Austria, Belarus, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway and Poland. This affects 16 clubs who participate in the CHL, as they might send players to the national team. Considering this fact, teams from countries which will play in the Olympic qualification tournaments will not play CHL games during the period where the national teams prepare for and play the Olympic qualification tournaments. This special regulation requires an additional rule for the 2016–17 CHL Group Stage Draw: Teams from countries which will play in the Olympic qualification tournaments cannot face each other in the CHL Group Stage. The additional rule is necessary to secure a consistent CHL schedule in the Group Stage with teams from not involved countries facing each other during the Olympic qualification tournaments.
When will the playing schedule be available?
The schedule will be made available at www.championshockeyleague.net in due course after the Group Stage Draw.