MagentaSport Cup (Germany) 2020/21

The MagentaSport Cup was a preseason ice hockey tournament held in Germany, organized by the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in collaboration with the broadcaster Deutsche Telekom (via its MagentaSport brand). Founded in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the start of the regular DEL season, the event served as a preparation exercise for clubs to play competitive matches under professional conditions. The inaugural and only recorded edition took place in November and December 2020. Eight teams participated: Adler Mannheim, Eisbären Berlin, EHC Red Bull München, Grizzly Wolfsburg, Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven, Schwenninger Wild Wings, Düsseldorfer EG, and Krefeld Pinguine. The format consisted of two groups of four teams, with a round-robin stage followed by semifinals and a final. EHC Red Bull München won the tournament, defeating Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven 7:5 in the final. The MagentaSport Cup was distinct from the official Deutscher Eishockey-Pokal (German Cup), which is organized by the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB). While the DEB-Pokal is an official knockout competition involving lower-division teams and historically included DEL teams, the MagentaSport Cup was an invitational exhibition tournament. Its results did not count towards official league standings or cup records. Searches for subsequent editions in 2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024 yielded no evidence of the tournament's continuation, suggesting it was a one-off pandemic-era initiative. The name 'MagentaSport Cup' is also used for basketball preseason events, but in ice hockey, it refers exclusively to this 2020 DEL preparation tournament.