Spengler Cup Cancelled for Second Straight Year

The world's oldest invitational hockey tournament will not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Spengler Cup will be on the sidelines for the sixth time since the event was first run in 1923. The tournament was previously cancelled in 1939, 1940, 1949 and 1956 before the pandemic shut it down last year.

A COVID-19 outbreak from hosts HC Davos has put a stop to the event just a day before festivities were set to kick off.

Last week, Team Canada and Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta were forced to back out, with Slovakian team Slovan and a select club of three Swiss National League teams set to take their place.

The tournament is made up of European club teams, with Canada icing a select team based on players outside of the NHL. The 94th edition of the tournament was also set to feature Sparta Praha, Frolunda and KalPa Kuopio.