The field of participants for the 18th edition of the Dolomitencup is complete. The Löwen Frankfurt are the fourth and final team to have confirmed their participation in the preparatory tournament in Neumarkt/South Tyrol. When the DEL club makes its appearance in the Würtharena from August 16 to 18, ice hockey romantics will be in for a treat.
Over the years, the Dolomitencup has welcomed a number of top clubs from all over Europe. But the fact that the renowned pre-season tournament in the south of South Tyrol exists at all is also thanks to Löwen Frankfurt. In a way, the DEL club co-founded the Dolomitencup.
It was in the spring of 2005 when the 2004 German champions planned to come to South Tyrol for a training camp including a friendly match. The opponent was quickly decided: thanks to a joint sponsor, HC Neumarkt – reinforced by some exceptional South Tyrolean players – was to play against the Hessian DEL club. As ice hockey in summer was still totally untypical in this country at that time, the test match was held in Merano on August 11, 2005 – and was a complete success. More than 1,300 enthusiastic fans watched the top German club win 6:1 and the idea of something bigger was quickly born. The Dolomitencup was born.
The following year, HC Neumarkt organized an international preparation tournament together with Frankfurt, in which the Augsburg Panthers and Servette Geneva took part alongside the Lions and the South Tyroleans. The inaugural victory at the first Dolomitencup in August 2006 went to Frankfurt itself, and the pot also went to the Hessians in the two following summers. In the years that followed, the organizers of HC Neumarkt turned the Dolomitencup into one of the most popular preparation tournaments in Europe.
So there is something romantic about Frankfurt returning to the Dolomitencup next August for the first time in 16 years. In fact, it will be a Dolomitencup of great reunions: EHC Kloten (National League/Switzerland), HC Kometa Brno (Extraliga/Czech Republic) and HC Pustertal (ICE Hockey League) have all taken part in the prestigious preparation tournament in the past. Now they will all be making the pilgrimage to Neumarkt again.
Now that the field of participants is complete, ticket sales are also underway. Tickets for the matches can be purchased on the website from Wednesday, May 1. The pairings have also already been drawn: EHC Kloten and Kometa Brno will meet on Friday, August 16, while HC Pustertal and Löwen Frankfurt will face each other in the second semi-final on Saturday, August 17. The traditional final day of the Dolomitencup will take place on Sunday, August 18.
