The idea: top ice hockey even before the start of the season
Fans should be able to watch top ice hockey in the summer. That was the idea behind the Red Bulls Salute. ERC Ingolstadt won the first edition of the invitational tournament in 2005. In the following years, the mode of play and the number of participants changed. What has remained the same is the first-class line-up with top teams from the best leagues in Europe. From 2010, the Red Bulls Salute served as the final tournament of the European Trophy, the predecessor of the Champions League. The last edition in 2013 was won by the Finnish team JYP Jyväskylä. The tournament then gave way to the Champions League (CHL). Since 2017, the international invitational tournament has once again been held annually in August.
The LA Kings provided NHL flair
One of the many highlights of the Red Bulls Salute was the participation of the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Los Angeles Kings in 2007, when the NHL opened its season in London with a game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings. The latter used the Red Bulls Salute as preparation for the season opener. Unsurprisingly, the Kings won the tournament and immortalized themselves in the Red Bulls Salute winners' list.