Alpine Classic History
 
The Alpine Classic is an annual ice hockey tournament held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s historic 1936 Olympic Games ice arena. Originally known as the USAFE Ice Hockey Championships, the U.S. Air Force in Europe organized and funded the first tournament in 1992. It provided an opportunity for military teams to display their skills and spend President’s Day weekend playing a sport they loved. Due to USAFE rules, the tournament was limited to U.S. Department of Defense and NATO ID card holders only.
 
Thomas Burkett, the USAFE sports program manager who ran the tourney from 1992 to 2013 said, “When we started 19 years ago, I didn’t think it would grow like this. In the early days, it was just a couple of teams that took part, but interest has continued to grow.” Ten teams competed in the 19th annual tourney.
 
When an unexpected fiscal crisis stripped USAFE of its funding on the eve of the 22nd annual tourney, the KMC Eagles stepped up and in less than two weeks worked with the other teams to raise $9,000 to pay for the ice times, referees, scorekeepers. Eleven teams competed, with the Eagles winning their fifth championship in a row.
 
Under KMC’s leadership the tourney continued to grow. The 25th annual tournament featured 18 teams playing in competitive and recreational divisions. “It’s going to be a raucous good time,” the tournament director, Catherine Phelpski, said. “There is a heavy sense of camaraderie, but expect fierce competition.”
 
Stuttgart MWR (Military Welfare and Recreation) ran the Alpine Classic in 2019 and 2020. They limited the tournament to one team per military community, which greatly limited the opportunity for recreational players to participate. The current tournament director, Y Oda Gerald explained, “Out of a desire to maximize participation, the Stuttgart Mustangs stepped in to run the Alpine Classic.” The tournament format grew to include four divisions with larger military communities registering multiple teams in multiple divisions. As a result, the field quickly grew to 20 teams.
 
The tourney’s mystique continues to grows each year. Players compete, rotate back to the United States, and talk about playing in, “The best tourney ever!” In 2021, Ahab: A Hockey Story, an award-winning novel featuring a wounded warrior who played in the Alpine Classic, brought attention to the tourney’s legendary place in international hockey lore.
 
The future of the Alpine Classic is bright, with ARA-Sport partnered with the Stuttgart Mustangs to run the iconic tournament. While participation has been expanded to any military connected team—without any limitation that players must all possess a U.S. Department of Defense or NATO ID card—the tournament retains its distinctive martial camaraderie, and each skater takes home a once-in-a-lifetime memory of competing against military teams at the historic Olympic Eishalle in beautiful Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
 
Alpine Classic Participants 
 
2nd CAV Dragoons
Ansbach Choppers
Aviano Ice Dragons
Baden Bruins
Bayern Rangers
Bitburg Bears
Capital Beltway Warriors
KMC Eagles
Garmisch Gamis
Geilenkirchen Flyers
Naples Knights
SHAPE Shields
Spangdahlem Sabers
Stuttgart Mustangs
Tribase Lightning
UK Warbirds
Vicenza Lions
Wiesbaden Vikings
 
Alpine Classic Champions
 
2024               KMC Eagles 1
2023               KMC Eagles 1
2022               KMC Eagles 1
2021
2020
2019               Wiesbaden Vikings
2018               Bayern Rangers
2017               
2016               KMC Eagles
2015               KMC Eagles
2014               Bayern Rangers
2013               KMC Eagles
2012               KMC Eagles
2011               KMC Eagles
2010               KMC Eagles
2009               KMC Eagles
2008               Baden Bruins
2007               GK Flyers
2006               Bitburg Bears
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001               Baden Bruins
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992