In total, 10 million euros were distributed, the largest prize sum ever in a European hockey club competition.

[2] The ZSC Lions from Switzerland won the competition by beating Russia's Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the finals.

In December 2013, the IIHF officially announced that they had launched a new tournament with the same name, born out of the European Trophy, starting in the 2014–15 season.

Ten teams qualified directly for the group stage due to their performances in the domestic leagues.

[5] SC Bern won the tournament and qualified as the second team from Switzerland for the group stage of the Champions Hockey League.

Salavat Yulaev was the first team of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League to qualify for the semi-finals after winning their first three games.

Salavat Yulaev won the first game in Magnitogorsk with goaltender Alexandr Eremenko stopping 36 shots.

Home ice advantage of the second game went to the ZSC Lions which had the better record in the group stage.

As in the semi-finals, the Lions were forced to play their home game in Rapperswil in an arena with only half the capacity of the Hallenstadion in Zürich.

ZSC goaltender Ari Sulander was named Champions Hockey League MVP and was the first to hoist the Silver Stone Trophy.