The four teams that will contest this season’s Continental Cup final round are now known, after Groups E and F were decided from 15-17 November.
Belarus’ Neman Grodno, a familiar name in the Champions Hockey League, came through Group F in Krakow. Grodno, who qualified after two games, topped the group despite a final game defeat to Kazakhstan's Beibarys Atyrau.
Former CHL participants Comarch Cracovia then faced Ukraine’s HC Donbass on Sunday night in a literal shootout for the second place in the final round from Group F. Tied at one each after 65 minutes, Cracovia took a shootout win to go through despite themselves, Grodno and Donbass ending in a three-way tie on five points each.
In Group E in Vojens, it was a more complex story. Hosts SønderjyskE, who played in the first two CHL seasons, registered two wins in their opening pair of games to be in the driving seat. However, Hungarian champions Ferencváros’ surprise win over the Nottingham Panthers threw them into the mix to qualify as well as the Panthers. Things were complicated further when Amiens then beat Ferencváros on Sunday afternoon to leave three teams on three points each ahead of the final game. In the end, however, there was no need for calculators with Nottingham beating SønderjyskE 4-2 to clinch their place in the next round as group winners.
This means the four teams fighting to win the 2020 Continental Cup will be:
- Comarch Cracovia (PLN)
- Neman Grodno (BLR)
- Nottingham Panthers (UK)
- SønderjyskE Vojens (DEN)
Subject to approval by the CHL board, the winning team will earn a place in the 2020/21 Champions Hockey League.