Coupe de France (ice hockey)



The Coupe de France (lit. 'French Cup') an ice hockey competition in France. It is the premier knockout cup organized by the French Ice Hockey Federation.

Formula
Participation is mandatory for the three highest tiers of the French men's hockey pyramid, and voluntary for members of the fourth tier, which may require the staging of a preliminary round for select teams in some years. Teams from the country's top tier, the Ligue Magnus, enter in the second round. When teams from different tiers are drawn against one another, the lower-tier team will automatically be designated as the host side (except for the final, which is played at a predetermined venue). For the first two rounds, which predominantly involve semi-professional and amateur organizations, teams are drawn from regional groups. Thereafter, draws are entirely random.

Final venue
In early decades, the competition's format changed frequently and the final was not held at a regular venue. In 2005, Méribel Olympic Ice Rink, known for hosting the hockey tournament during the 1992 Winter Olympics, was appointed as the host venue. Following two seasons there, Federation president Luc Tardif decided to move the event to Palais ominisport de Paris-Bercy (today Accor Arena), while Méribel became host to the final of a newly created secondary cup, the Coupe de la Ligue ('League Cup'). The choice of the capital's largest and most famous indoor arena turned out to be an unexpected success, providing the French game with a marquee event and significantly increasing the Coupe de France's prestige.

Trophy
For the 2001–02 edition, when it was decided to make the event a regular fixture, a permanent trophy was inaugurated. Of classic shape, it was made of blue porcelain with golden accents. In the 2006 off-season, it took the name of influential Canadian-born player and coach, who had recently died. In 2022, the original trophy, which had proven very susceptible to damage, was replaced by a new one made of metal, and chosen from three possible designs via a fan vote.

Previous winners
{{legend|#FFFFCC|Competition held during international breaks. Teams mostly played without their internationals.}} {{legend|#FBCCE7|First and second-tier teams did not participate.}}