Europes Top Clubs

This years completely un-official listing has been released. I can't say I agree with it all even though I'm not 100% sure how they actually work out the rankings. It must be a points system based on the level of competition played against, what the clubs results were and where each team finished in their regular season table. I guess whether or not the teams actually win their respective countries titles doesn't matter to much either. Plus the players each team actually has available to them isn't taken into it, which for me decides who really has the best team.

Anyway, the list looks like this

1) Ak Bars Kazan (RUS)
2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS)
3) Avangard Omsk (RUS)
4) Kärpät Oulu (FIN)
5) Salavat Yulaev Ufa (RUS)
6) Färjestad (SWE)
7) Jokerit Helsinki (FIN)
8) MoDo Örnsköldsvik (SWE)
9) HC Davos (SWI)
10) Mannheim (GER)

Other notable positions -

14) Sparta Prague
15) Pardubice
36) Slovan Bratislava - Slovak Champs well down the list
78) MHC Martin -
153) Coventry Blaze ( Highest ranked EIHL club)


The Russians clearly dominate the top ten in this years rankings but I am shocked to find Sparta outside of the top 10 clubs. They did have a poor start to their season last year but they dominated in the playoffs and eventually won the competition with relative ease. ( I hated typing that just now) No way can Sparta be below Mannheim and Davos. They have won the Extraliga title for the past two seasons plus they take part in the Super Six competition so it doesn't make any real sense to me to find them down in 14th. I also can't quite work out why Kärpät are as low as 4th. They are more or less setting a dynasty in Finland with their dominant play. They are easily the best team in the SM-Liiga and therefore shouldn't be anywhere other than 2nd place on that list...

The Caps and 'Rays are the only EIHL clubs not to be listed. So we are ranked outside the top 250 clubs within Europe. If the Caps can make the playoffs next season we might just move up and be counted! woop, woop ;p

Full list can be seen at http://www.hockeyarchives.info/top.htm