This semi-final between Karpat Oulu and Lukko Rauma ensures that this year's CHL Final will include a team from Finland. The favourites are certainly Karpat – the two-time reigning domestic champions and returning CHL semi-finalists who once again find themselves at the top of the Liiga standings. Lukko, meanwhile, have not won a national title in over 50 years, haven't appeared in their league's finals since the '80s, and currently find themselves seventh in the standings. They have, however, beaten some strong opponents to get this far in the CHL.

After winning back-to-back Finnish titles and getting to the CHL semi-finals last year, expectations were high for Karpat this season and they breezed through their first six CHL contests, surrendering only a single goal along the way. First it was a perfect showing in Group J, overpowering the Vienna Capitals and Krefeld Pinguine by a score of 12–1. Next it was 2 more shutouts for goaltender Sami Aittokallio against Dusseldorfer EG in the Round of 32, making it 5 in 6 games. Then they hit a bit of a bump in the road against Sparta Prague – losing 4–2 in the Czech capital before rallying to win the aggregate score on home ice, thanks to a magnificent last-minute goal from Mika Pyorala. They didn't have Pyorala in their lineup for the quarter-finals against the Espoo Blues, but they still managed to overcome a 2-goal deficit following the opening leg and won on home ice, thanks to a 5-point performance from Julius Junttila. Domestically, Karpat started out slowly but have turned it on of late, and now find themselves in their familiar spot at the top after 37 games.

In Group K, Lukko lost both games against Lulea Hockey and won both against Fribourg-Gotteron to finish 2nd with 6 points. Against Red Bull Munich, they opened up a 5–1 lead in the Bavarian capital before the home side scored two late goals to reduce the aggregate score to just 2. That became a moot point in the return leg, however, as Lukko won 3–0 on home ice to put it away. In the eighth-finals, Lukko scored a pair of 2–1 victories in a very close series against Djurgarden Stockholm – Lukko scored late to win both games – to secure their spot in the quarter-finals for the second-straight year. This time they went a step further than last year, tying the first game in Turku before winning the return leg in a defensive battle on home ice to get by TPS and advance to the semi-finals, where they'll face another Finnish opponent.

Karpat have won all three Liiga meetings between these two teams so far this season, taking 8 out of 9 points. This included two regulation victories which came three weeks apart in late October and early November, and a 5–4 overtime victory on 5 January, a week before the first leg of this series. The first game of the CHL semi-final goes 12 January in Rauma, followed by the second game on 19 January in Oulu. Both games begin at 18:30 EET, 17:30 CET.

Closer look: Karpat Oulu

(8-0-0-2, 24 points, 28:9)

As the only Liiga team in the northern half of Finland, Karpat have perhaps the largest fanbase in Europe in terms of geographical area. In the 21st century, those fans have had a lot to cheer about. Of the club's seven Finnish titles, six have been won since the 2003–04 season, when they won their first of four in five years. This Finnish dynasty was led by goalies goalies Niklas Backstom and Pekka Rinne, defencemen Ilkka Mikkola and Mikko Lehtonen, and forward Petr Tenkrat. In that time, they twice advanced to the final of the European Champions Cup, losing in overtime to Avangard Omsk in 2005 and in a shootout to Dynamo Moscow in 2006. In recent years, they have strung together two more back-to-back Finnish titles and now they're looking for a third. They're also looking for more success on the European stage, and had their appetites whetted last year when they got to the semi-finals, where they lost a thrilling two-game set to Frolunda Gothenburg in overtime. They got this far last year, and now they look to go a step further.

With their combination of stingy defence and dangerous offence and depth at every position, they look to be as good a bet as anybody to claim the European club title this season. They've shown the ability to overcome adversity in the last two stages, both in terms of deficit and injuries.

Julius

Junttila

4+6, +9

Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: With Mika Pyorala out of the lineup in the quarter-finals, Julius Junttila recorded 5 points in the second leg to take over the club CHL scoring lead with 10 points. He is also tied for the best plus-minus in the CHL at +9. At 24 years of age, Junttila is already a veteran on this Karpat team, now in his fifth season on the A-team with two titles under his belt. Now Pyorala is back, making for a devastating combination on the top line. But a team with the scoring depth of Karpat won't expect Junttila and Pyorala to shoulder the offensive load. They have three lines that can score,including Mika Niemi – the team's top domestic scorer with 26 points in 33 games – Miro Aaltonen, Ivan Huml and a couple of youngsters who just led Finland to the World Junior Championship: 19-year-old Sebastian Aho and 17-year-old tournament MVP and leading scorer Jesse Puljujarvi.

Lasse

Kukkonen

0+4, +6

Top Defenceman: Karpat captain Lasse Kukkonen is a warrior who leads by example. Usually logging very high minutes on ice, Kukkonen’s job is to keep goals against to a minimum and make opposing players pay the price in front of the Karpat net. The fact the team has only given up 9 goals in 10 games is a testament to his effectiveness in this area. With the team's depth challenged somewhat with injuries in the semi-finals, it was experienced players like Kukkonen and blueline partner Adam Masuhr who were called upon even more to lead. The Oulu-born Kukkonen is the embodiment of the northern work ethic and winning mentality

Sami

Aittokallio

96.39 %

Top Goaltender: Sami Aittokallio joined Karpat this past summer from the Colorado Avalanche organization. He has been a brick wall in CHL this season, allowing only 6 goals in 8 games, recording 5 shutouts. His save percentage of 96.39 and miniscule 0.75 goals-against average are almost difficult to comprehend. He took over the starting job while incumbent Iiro Tarkki was injured early in the season, and with Tarkki's recent retirment the job is now clearly Aittokallio's. He has been the key player in the triumphant run that Karpat have had in Europe so far.

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Closer look: Lukko Rauma

(6-1-2-1, 22 points, 28:21)

Lukko Rauma was founded in 1936, but ice hockey came along many years later. In 1936 people in Rauma didn’t even know about the sport. The first rink didn't come until 1947. In effect, that’s the moment when hockey really began in the town. Lukko won their first Finnish championship in 1963 and the people of Rauma have been waiting for their turn to celebrate again ever since. They've gotten their hopes up a few times, but the ultimate prize has just escaped them on a few occasions.

Lukko has played in European international competitions before. Back In the 1996–97 season the club played in the European Hockey League, but weren't able to get beyond the group stage. They qualified for the Champions Hockey League in 2014–15 and managed to get to the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Lulea Hockey, a team that they have now played six times in two seasons after two more meetings in the 2015–16 group stage. Now this year they are in the semi-finals, which is further than they've ever gone in a European club competition before.

Toni

Koivisto

5+6, +5

Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: Toni Koivisto is the team's top scorer in both the Liiga, and CHL, with 11 points in 10 CHL games and 27 points in 34 Liiga games – that places him 9th in Liiga scoring and tied for second in the CHL. He was especially productive in the Round of 32 against Munich, netting 5 points in the two games. Together with set-up man Janne Lahti, they form a dangerous scoring duo that Karpat will have to be wary of.

Illka

Mikkola

1+4, even

Top Defenceman: Ilkka Mikkola is one of the most successful players in the Finnish Liiga with eight titles, and is a respected team leader. The experienced captain leads the game by playing conservatively in his own end every shift and starting attacks with accurate breakout passes. He's not easily agitated, but doesn’t hesitate to protect his net and goalie by any means necessary. Offensively, Janne Niskala scores at nearly a point-per-game pace in both the CHL and Liiga, and is second in scoring among d-men in the Finnish league.

Ryan

Zapolski

94.88 %

Top Goaltender: Ryan Zapolski quickly became a Lukko fan favourite by keeping his first non-American team near the top of the Finnish Liiga in 2013–14 with confident goaltending. Ever consistent, only once has Zapolski finished a season with a save percentage below 90 since his first NCAA season. He's a hero among Lukko fans, a well-liked teammate and an opposing forward’s worst nightmare. He has been just as strong domestically as in the CHL with the best goals-against average and save percentage among starting goalies and a league-leading 6 shutouts.

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