The final EHL Ranking positions for 2021/22 have been confirmed following the conclusion of the EuroHockey club competitions last weekend.
On the women’s side, the big movers are Belgium thanks to Gantoise’s fine debut in the Euro Hockey League at Easter alongside KHC Dragons’ strong run in the EuroHockey Trophy.
Gantoise were the first Belgian side to play in the EHL top tier and started off with an impressive win over Surbiton to reach the FINAL4 where they ran both Den Bosch (0-2) and Junior FC (1-2) close.
Dragons, meanwhile, beat Mannheimer HC to win the second tier Euro Trophy in Italy. Those results saw Belgium move up to third place in the European list, moving them above Germany (4th) and England (5th).
Otherwise, the top six remains in situ with the Netherlands clear at the top after AH&BC Amsterdam and Den Bosch reached the EHL GRAND FINAL.
Spain are in second place and will have two EHL tickets for the FINAL8 once again. Ireland are in sixth place and will have one place in the top tier again next season.
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On the men’s side, there has been significant movement with several nations swapping places in the table.
The top two have switched places with the Netherlands going ahead of Germany while Spain remain in third place thanks to the combination of Club de Campo’s FINAL4 run and Club Egara’s EHL Ranking Cup win. Those three nations will all get three place in the Euro Hockey League next season.
Belgium stay in fourth place with fifth placed England closing the gap very significantly to them courtesy of Surbiton’s BRONZE at Easter.
France have leapt into sixth place to earn a second EHL ticket next season, primarily thanks to CA Montrouge’s EuroHockey Trophy I success.
Austria drop a place to seventh while the big shake-up comes after Belarus and Russia were both given zero points following their exclusion this season.
Belarus drop from eighth to 11th with Russia going ninth to 12th. Scotland go the opposite way, swapping 10th for 8th, as Grange recorded their first EHL win at the Ranking Cup in Egara while Western Wildcats picked up points for silver at the Trophy II.
Switzerland were the biggest movers, going up from 12th to 9th to earn an EHL place for the country for the first time since 2009. Their big points came from Rotweiss Wettingen’s silver at Trophy I and Servette landing third in Trophy II. Ireland move up a place to 10th and will have one place in the EHL next term.
The final EHL Men’s place will go to the Czech Republic with a club from the country taking part for the first time. This place has opened up because Russian and Belarussian clubs continue to be excluded from participation with the next space going to the highest ranked nation not already qualified.
The Czech Republic moved up to 13th place from 17th following the 2021/22 season.
Next season, the EHL KO16 phase will take from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 2, 2022. It will feature 16 clubs competing for one of four places at next Easter’s FINAL8. The champions from the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Belgium receive a bye to the FINAL8.
The draw for the EHL Men’s KO16 will take place on July 18.
Euro Hockey League allocations for 2022/23
Men
Three clubs: Netherlands, Germany, Spain
Two clubs: Belgium, England, France
One club: Austria, Scotland, Switzerland, Ireland, Belarus*
* Belarus has been excluded from the EHL and is replaced by the highest ranked nation not already qualified, being Czech Republic.
Women
Two clubs: Netherlands, Spain
One club: Belgium, Germany, England, Ireland