European Trophy (previously named Nordic Trophy between 2006 and 2009) was an annually held ice hockey tournament, traditionally composed of teams from the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe.
With 32 participating teams from seven countries in 2013, the European Trophy was at the time the biggest active ice hockey tournament in Europe.
By the 2013 tournament, eight countries had been represented: Sweden, Finland, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Norway.
Lukko from Finland left, and was replaced by fellow Nordic team Vålerenga from Norway.
Adler Mannheim and Eisbären Berlin from Germany, and Czech team Sparta Praha, completed the Capital Division; while Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg, along with SC Bern and ZSC Lions from Switzerland, completed the Central Division.
Seven teams from the Czech Republic participated: Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha, Mountfield České Budějovice, Bílí Tygři Liberec, ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice, Plzeň 1929, and Kometa Brno.
Slovakia was for the first time represented in the European Trophy tournament, with Slovan Bratislava.
[6] On 18 June it was announced that Piráti Chomutov had taken over Slavia Praha's spot in the South Division.
[8] The European Trophy tournament was divided into regular round games between late July and November, where teams played each other in a predefined schedule, and a playoff weekend in December which was an elimination tournament where two teams played against each other to win in order to advance to the next round.
The European Trophy playoffs, known as the Red Bulls Salute, were the last part of the tournament.
Additionally, in the final of the Red Bulls Salute, the winning team received €50 000, while the losing finalist got €10 000.