Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada to compete, with the provision that the Stanley Cup winners were to be recognized as "World's Champions". The phrase was repeatedly engraved on the Cup, and continued to be used, when the NHL began admitting American franchises. When the NHL assumed formal control of the Cup in 1947, the resulting agreement required "that the winners of this trophy shall be the acknowledged World's Professional Hockey Champions" (in contrast to the IIHF's Ice Hockey World Championships, at the time contested only by amateurs). When the World Hockey Association commenced play in the 1970s, they sought to challenge for the Stanley Cup,
2018–19 Rugby Europe Trophy on the Trophy level and lost the relegation play-off for the second year in a row. !Pos !Name !Team !Pts !Pos !Name !Team !Tries 2018–19 Rugby Europe Trophy The 2018–19 Rugby Europe Trophy is the second-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship. It is the third Trophy competition under its new format, that will see Czech Republic, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland compete for the title, and a place in the Championship-Trophy Promotion play-off. This year's competition sees Lithuania joining the Trophy after winning the Trophy-Conference 1 Promotion play-off against Malta. After the Championship-Trophy Promotion play-off of the 2017-18