Earlier this week, the Spengler Cup organizing committee confirmed the six teams that will compete in this year’s edition of the tournament. For the first time, it will include a team of U.S. Collegiate Selects.
On Friday, the groups and schedule were announced. The format will be the same as it’s been for the last several years, with the losers from the first day playing the following day and the winners getting a day off. No teams are eliminated in the group stage, but the group winners advance directly to the semifinals while the second- and third-place teams play cross-over quarterfinal games.
All games will be played at 15:10 and 20:15 Central European Time (9:10 AM and 2:15 PM Eastern Time) except for the final, which will be played at 12:10 local time (6:10 AM ET), meaning the winner of the second semifinal game will face a very quick turnaround.
Torriani Group: Fribourg-Gottéron, Sparta Prague, IFK Helsinki
Cattini Group: HC Davos, Team Canada, U.S. Collegiate Selects
The schedule opens with defending champion Fribourg-Gottéron from Switzerland taking on Czech club Sparta Prague followed by a rare North American derby between Team Canada and the U.S. Collegiate Selects.
Schedule
Friday, Dec.
26:
15:10 Fribourg-Gottéron vs.
Sparta Prague
20:15 Team Canada
vs. U.S. Collegiate Selects
Saturday,
Dec. 27:
15:10 IFK Helsinki
vs. loser of Fribourg-Gottéron/ Sparta
Prague
20:15 HC Davos
vs. loser of Team Canada/U.S. Collegiate Selects
Sunday, Dec.
28:
15:10 Winner of
Fribourg-Gottéron/Sparta Prague
vs IFK
Helsinki
20:15 Winner
of Team Canada/U.S. Collegiate Selects vs.
HC Davos
Monday, Dec. 29:
15:10
Quarterfinal 1: Torriani
2nd
place vs. Cattini 3rd
place
20:15 Quarterfinal 2: Cattini
2nd
place vs. Torriani
3rd
place
Tuesday, Dec.
30:
15:10 Semifinal
1: Cattini 1st
place vs. winner
of Quarterfinal 1
20:15 Semifinal 2:
Torriani 1st
place vs. winner of Quarterfinal 2
Wednesday, Dec.
31:
12:10 Final: Semifinal 1 vs. Semifinal 2
Photo © Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images: Brendan Lemieux, pictured playing for the Los Angeles Kings in 2022, is now under contract with Spengler Cup host HC Davos.
