For the third seaosn in a row, teams from the SHL and ELITE league meet in the CHL.

Having failed to make it pas the group stage in their first Champions Hockey League season, last year HV71 Jonkoping not only went one better, but got all the way to the Round of 16 before going out to the Espoo Blues.

Sheffield Steelers, on the other hand, finished pointless in their first CHL adventure a year ago, but are the first British team to compete in the league two seasons in a row – experience from last year being something that coach Paul Thompson will want his team to build on.

While these two teams haven't met in the CHL, sides from Sweden and Great Britain have contested matches in each of the past two seasons – Lulea, Vaxjo, and Frolunda beating Nottingham, Braehead, and Sheffield respectively.