CHL - Opening Game Previews

The 2015–16 Champions Hockey League finally gets underway today! After weeks of preparation, 24 teams take to the ice in 12 games all over Europe. 

TPS Turku vs. Black Wings Linz - Group G; HK Areena 17:30

The 2015–16 CHL season gets underway on the southwest coast of Finland as TPS host competition debutants Linz from Austria. TPS finished as runners up in their group last season behind Linkoping, before going out in the first knock-out round to Lukko. Linz meanwhile take to the ice in the CHL for the first time on the road in Finland, with captain Philipp Lukas excited for the challenge, telling us: “So far we don’t know much about our opponents, we try to focus on our game and our system. As a sportsman you are always searching for new challenges and the CHL is a new and exciting way to compete on another level.”
Black Wings coach Rob Daum also thinks that the sides from Austria will be a match for any side in the competition this year: “Our league puts itself into a bad light very often, but I am convinced, that we are a tough opponent on this CHL level. Teams from the EBEL have shown very good results in the past and we are hoping to do that, too.”
For the home side the off-season has seen several changes, something not lost on Sports Director Antero Nittymaki: “The new is new, the coaching staff are new as well. We’re still a work in progress, as the pre-season games have shown, but I believe our strengths will be shown now as the games begin.”

HC Kosice vs. Red Bull Munich - Group H; Steel Arena, 18:30

The second game of the day sees Munich making the trip east to Kosice in Slovakia. The Slovak champions finished third in their group last season, and will be looking to make the next round this year. Head Coach Peter Oremus looked ahead to today’s game saying: “Munich’s team has a lot of Americans and Canadians who prefer tough game, with physicality from the first puck drop. We have to be more active, play better and not let them push us about.”
“In Kosice we expect to see an experienced club with guys that have played a long time,” says Red Bulls’ Coach Don Jackson, whose side have played several other CHL teams in pre-season. “We feel we can match their youth and experience, and all we have to do is play the way we’ve been playing in the last couple of games.”

Djurgarden Stockholm vs. Tappara Tampere - Group B; Globen Arena, 19:00

Finland’s Tappara Tampere are the visitors to Stockholm’s Globen arena to face Djurgarden in the opening game of Group B, setting up an SHL vs. Liiga battle on Game Day 1. The hosts crashed out in the group stage in last season’s CHL, whilst their opponents went out to SHL opposition in Frolunda in the round of 16 last time around. Mikael Ahlen from Djurgarden know what to expect from teams from the Liiga though: “Meeting Finnish teams usually means tough games in a high pace and I am sure that will be the case against Tappara as well,” he said. “We are three teams in the group and they games will all be tough but our goal is to move on from the group stage.”
One of Tappara’s new additions this season is Veli-Matti Savinainen, who played for Leksand in Sweden last year and has an idea of what to expect in Stockholm: “I know Djurgarden from my last year in Leksand – it will be a tough game, that's for sure. I really like being part of this competition, because hockey is about winning and competition, and the CHL offers the best possible challenge at a club level in Europe.”

SonderjyskE Vojens vs. Red Bull Salzburg - Group C; SE Arena, 19:00

Two teams that contested last season’s CHL go head-to-head in Jutland, with both hoping to get off to a good start. The hosts surprised many last season by finishing third in a group of SHL, Liiga, and DEL sides, while Salzburg were knocked out by eventual winners Lulea after the group stage.
“We are honoured and excited to be a part of the CHL again this season,” SonderjyskE coach Dan Ceman told us ahead of the game. “Salzburg will be a very difficult opponent. However, we take great pride in representing Danish ice hockey and will do everything we can to rise to the challenge!” His counterpart Daniel Ratushny is very awake of the Danish side’s dangers: “I think they’re a very strong team. They were champions 6-times in a very short space of time, and they have a ‘winning mentality’. I know Sønderjyske have quality in their team.”

Stavanger Oilers vs. Ocelari Trinec - Group L: DBN Arena, 19:00

From the east of the Czech Republic, Trinec travel to the southwest coast of Norway to get their CHL campaign underway this season against a side they met in the group stages on this competition last year. In a strange twist, it was the visiting team who won both games between these teams last season, Trinec winning 3-2 in Norway, and Stavanger taking a 5-4 in the Czech Republic. Neither side made the knock-out stage last time, but will hope to this season.
"You could almost say we over performed last year,” says Oilers’ head coach Petter Thoresen, reflecting on his side finishing runners up in their group. “At the same time we learned a lot. Not taking penalties is definitely one!”
“The guys have some injuries so we’re not 100 percent fit, but we’ve still got five lines available so we won’t have a problem putting a team together,” said Jiri Kalous, head coach of Trinec, who will be giving youth a chance in the opening round. “Young defencemen Lukas Doudera and Marian Adamek, as well as forward Lukas Jasek, have flown with us to Stavanger.”

Storhamar Hamar vs. Sparta Prague - Group M; Hamar OL-Amfi, 19:00

Czech hockey giants Sparta Prague travel north to Storhamar to play their opening game of the CHL against the Norwegian team making their debut in the competition. “We don't have too much information on the Norwegian team so we're mainly concentrating on ourselves,” says Sparta’s head coach Josef Jandac. “If we play our game and impose it on our opponents, we should be successful. That's why we're going to Norway. Our goal in the group stage is simple – to advance!”
Storhamar made the CHL thanks to reaching the GET Ligaen finals last season, and head coach Aleksander Smirnov wants them to make the most of their opportunity playing Europe’s elite. “We want to give our fans a victory, and I want my team to show good and entertaining hockey in front our home crowd. We are facing a big challenge, but will to everything to try to start the season with a victory over a huge opponent as Sparta Prague,” he told us.

Frolunda Gothenburg vs. Sheffield Steelers - Group N; Frolundaborgs Isstadion, 19:00

CHL debutants Sheffield Steelers couldn’t have asked for a much harder start to life in with Europe’s elite, travelling to last year's CHL runners-up who didn’t lose a game on home ice in the tournament last season. “We’re excited and have to give our best,” says Steelers coach Paul Thompson. “If we come out and start admiring Frolunda, we’ll have a tough night. We have to come out and respect them, but also compete. We can’t fear what’s ahead of us, we have to enjoy it.”
Frolunda team captain Joel Lundqvist is happy to finally be getting on the ice for the new season. “We are really looking forward to the premier game of the season and we aim to win it as we intend to have a long CHL run,” he says. “We have not focused that much on the opposition, we concentrate on our own game, but we know there are a lot of North American players in Sheffield.”

Vaxjo Lakers vs. Braehead Clan - Group O; Vida Arena, 19:00

Just like their Elite League counterparts, the Braehead Clan also start their CHL on the road in Sweden, although they in turn face the SHL champions.
“We’re not kidding ourselves about how hard a task it’s going to be!” said Bari McKenzie, who joined the Clan this summer from Dundee. “We just need to go in and give it our best. We don’t plan to go in and make up the numbers, but the team is coming together well. If we play well enough, upsets can happen, but we’ve go to go there and be very strong if we’re to have any chance.”
It's great to see a guy like Bari McKenzie play at this level [CHL]. I was fortunate enough to once have a conversation with him during an intermission of a Whitley Warriors game against his then club, The Solway Sharks. It was clear even back then he was a talented goal scorer and by the end of the  evening I had voted him my man-of-the-match. Since turning out on the Hillheads ice he has moved on to bigger and better things and the CHL is evidence of that.
Lakers coach Sam Hallam knows his side will go into the game as favourites, putting an onus on the opposition to play smart defensively. “The Braehead Clan will understand that they need to play really tight and focused against us tomorrow,” he says, however also noted what that means for his own side. “This demands that we also need to stay focused and not give the puck away too easy so they get the chance for quick transitions.”

Krefeld Pinguine vs. Karpat Oulu - Group J; Konig Palast, 19:30

No German team made it past the group stage of last year’s Champions Hockey League, one of five teams from the DEL to finish last in their group. This year the Pinguine start their campaign at home to Karpat Oulu, who last season came within a goal of reaching the final. “They are extremely experienced, we are extremely young,” says Krefeld head coach Rick Adduono, who has the youngest squad in the DEL this season. “We need to use this to our advantage, it will be interesting to see the energy we can bring against such a team. Last year we deserved more wins and I hope we get them this year.”
Karpat center Mika Niemi, who is playing his first CHL game tomorrow, told the media: It’s a great feeling to start the season with games that have big stakes. The CHL was one of the reasons I wanted to play in Oulu, because I knew that Kärpät has a chance to play for big things in this league.”

Fribourg-Gotteron vs. Lukko Rauma - Group K; BCF Arena 19:45

Fribourg and Lukko both took part in the CHL last season, both getting past the group stage. Fribourg came unstuck against Finnish opposition in the knock-out round in the form of IFK Helsinki, while Lukko went out to eventually winners Lulea.
“From a Finnish point of view Gotteron has interesting players like Sakari Salminen, who’s had important roles in the KHL and I think he is very big part of the team in Fribourg,” says Lukko’s Risto Dufva. “From experience I can say that the NLA is very highly-skilled and fast-skating league, and you can see the effects that the North American players and coaches have brought to their league in past years.”

Farjestad Karlstad vs. HC Davos - Group E; Lofbergs Arena, 20:00

Farjestad welcome CHL newbies Davos to Karlstad in one of the day’s later games, hoping to make up for a disappointing exit in the group stage of the CHL last season. New signing Mikael Johansson played against Davos for Rapperswil in Switzerland’s NLA last year, and can’t wait to get going. “I am looking forward to start the competition. It has been lots of practice and exhibition  games and me and I really can’t wait for the real competition to start,” said the 30-year-old forward. “I know Marcus Paulsson from before. We have played together here in Farjestad and he has been really good for Davos so it will be fun to play him again. They are a good team but with the group of guys we have here it should be our game.”
Davos coach Arno Del Curto goes into today’s game missing several players through injury, however hopes that the young players will step up to the mark. “Maybe we can snatch something in the game,” says the veteran coach, “The young players can show what they have, and learn a lot.”

Gap Rapaces vs. ZSC Lions Zurich - Group P; Alp’Arena, 20:00

A sold-out Alp’Arena is expected for one of the final games of the day which comes from the southeast of France. Gap make their CHL debut against formidable opponents in the ZSC Lions, although in Marc Andre Bernier they do have a player with former CHL experience as he played for  Briancon  last season.“Zurich is a very good, well-organised and disciplined team. We have to play our game and respect the opponent,” says coach Luciano Basile. “The last few days we have been skating without eight players from out roster, but Michael Perez and Anthony Rech will be back.. We’re not sure if Teddy Trabicheta will play yet.”
The Lions didn’t get past the group stage last season, and will be expected to make it further this season. “For us, Gap are the big unknown,” says Peter Zahner, CEO of the Lions. “But something new is always exiting!”