Sixteen teams are in action over the course of Sunday in the Champions Hockey League!
Bili Tygri Liberec vs. Lorenskog IK
Group H; Home Credit Arena, 14:30
Both sides open their Champions Hockey League account for the season this afternoon, with Lorenskog playing their first game even in the competition.
Liberec reached the Round of 16 last year before going out to HC Davos, while Lorenskog have made at least the Norwegian league's quarterfinals in each of the last five seasons. Getting all the way to the finals last year qualified them for the CHL.
"We are looking forward to playing one of the best Norwegian teams in Lorekskog," says head coach Filip Pesan. "We have seen how good the Norwegian teams were in the previous season of the CHL. Stavanger and Storhamar both won their groups and beat Czech teams like Sparta and Trinec. It is proof that hockey in Norway is constantly improving, as we can see in the World Championships every year. We have a month to prepare for it and we know it will be tough. Facing Lorenskog will be a very good test for us."
Lorenskog head coach Kenneth Larsen added of Liberec, "This is a new chapter for our club and we are looking forward to get going with games. This is our first experience with a team from the Czech Republic, and the hockey culture in their country is well known, so we are aware that Liberec will be a very tough opponent. But it is also an opportunity for our team to present themselves internationally, so we are ready to battle.”
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Eisbaren Berlin vs. SaiPa Lappeenranta
Group I; Mercedes-Benz Arena, 14:30
Having surprised on opening day by beating Lulea, Eisbaren Berlin go into this afternoon's game against their Liiga opponents with the chance to put themselves in the driving seat in Group I.
Goaltender Petri Vehanen said about SaiPa, “It will be a tough opponent. They’re always based on hard work. They don’t always have the best players, but they have a really good working team.”
Ari Santanen, head coach of SaiPa, expects his team to be ready: "We have been preparing our team for the start of CHL for three weeks, and played three exhibition games before travelling to Berlin on Friday. In Berlin we have couple of days for team building, practising and getting ready for our first CHL game on Sunday," he said.
Sparta Prague vs. Farjestad Karlstad
Group O; O2 Arena, 14:30
Sparta and Farjestad meet in Prague to decide who will top Group O after the first half of games. Both sides won in Krakow in their opening games to give themselves some breathing space over Cracovia.
Tomas Netik, forward of HC Sparta, said of tonight's opponents, "Farjestad is a very strong opponent. We have to play well defensively and aggressively so that we can have a chance to win. It is going to be a great hockey game."
"A classic Czech hockey club which has produced a lot of good players throughout the years. They are always well organized and will be a good match for us," aded Farjestad coach Leif Carlsson.
Dynamo Pardubice vs. Frolunda Gothenburg
Group A; Tippsport Arena, 17:00
Pardubice's 2016-17 CHL debut sees them coming up against the defending champions. Having won in Wolfsburg already, Frolunda will look to complete their road trip with maximum points – while their hosts will know that any points from this afternoon's game will give them an advantage over the Grizzlys.
"We have to satisfy our fans again after a disastrous last season. We have to give our all in this game because Frolunda is probably the best team in Europe right now," admitted Peter Draisaitl, head coach of Dynamo Pardubice. "I’ve listened to their head coach during a lecture I’ve attended, so I know what kind of hockey they want to play."
Frolunda assistant coach Par Johansson added, “They are a different team compared with Wolfsburg. Czech teams are always well organized and tactical, and we expect them to take advantage of our mistakes.”
BK Mlada Boleslav vs. Vaxjo Lakers
Group L; SKO-Energo Arena, 17:00
Mlada Boleslav were the 'nearly team' of the opening couple of rounds – losing narrowly in Minsk before staging a comeback in Vaxjo only to lose decisively in the end. Back on home ice, they need a win to put themselves back in Group L contention.
"In the first game against Vaxjo, we didn’t have the right mindset in our heads," admitted Martin Latal, forward for BK Mlada Boleslav. "Now we can’t hide behind anything anymore because we want to please our fans and get a win. We have to play better defensively and take less penalties."
Vaxjo head coach Sam Hallam added, "The first game was tighter than the score suggests, so we need to play smart against a offensively highly-skilled Mlada Boleslav team."
Adler Mannheim vs. Tappara Tampere
Group C; SAP Arena, 18:00
A home loss to HC Lugano in their first game means Adler Mannheim really need a win tonight against a team that has made it to the CHL Round of 16 in each of the past two seasons.
"We have a very tough opponent with Tampere, but after our opening loss we are looking for a reaction from our team to keep us in with a chance," said head coach Sean Simpson ahead of tonight's game.
For Tappara, tonight marks their first game of the competition, something forward Jere Karjalainen is looking forward to. "It's good to be back playing CHL games against a couple of really tough teams. Starting with away games we get to have a nice little trip with the guys and see more than just our home rink, and that gives us a boost for sure. I'm very eager to see the crowd in Mannheim – we've been hearing a lot about it beforehand," he said.
Djurgarden Stockholm vs. Rouen Dragons
Group B; Hovet, 19:00
Djuargarden start their CHL campaign for this season hosting a Rouen side that put up stubborn resistance in Davos before eventually losing 4-1.
”You always have to enter the games being ready, knowing that anything can happen. We are going to continue with the pace we set up in our last game against Almtuna," says winger Patrik Lundh. "And each day now we’re getting better and we will make sure to get a good start in the CHL against Rouen.”
"Djurgarden is a very good team that does well in the Swedish league, so they'll be tough," added Rouen head coach Fabrice Lhenry.
Gap Rapaces vs. Linkoping HC
Group K, Alp'Arena, 19:00
Linkoping are another SHL team starting their CHL adventure tonight before heading up to face JYP next weekend. Gap lost to the Finnish club earlier this week and a defeat tonight would leave them with an uphill struggle in the group.
"Swedish teams have won the first two CHL tournaments and Linkoping HC is a serious outsider. We are excited to play against this team, full of key players," said Gap GM Sebastien Oprandi ahead of the game.
Linkoping head coach Dan Tangnes added, "We don’t know so much about the team, but it will be exciting to play them and get to know a little bit more about French ice hockey.”