Young Farjestad crew faces Czech champs

Farjestad Karlstad take on Bili Tygri Liberec in a meeting between two teams that have never faced each other directly, but have recent experience with teams from the opposite league. Farjestad is just coming off playing Sparta Prague twice in the group stage, where they took four of six points. Sparta were finalists in the Czech Extraliga last year, where they lost to Liberec. Liberec didn't have any Swedish teams in their group this year, but last year they beat Linkoping HC by a wide margin in the Round of 32. Farjestad are one of Europe's most famous hockey clubs, but recent history hasn't been so kind to them – they haven't had much success in either the SHL or CHL in recent years, but have a young team and seem to be on the rise. Liberec are relative newcomers to the top tier of European hockey, but won their first national title last year. It should be an interesting series. 

Group O was expected to be a battle between Farjestad and Sparta Prague for top spot, and that's in fact what it was. Farjestad opened with a 5-1 win over Cracovia in Krakow before heading to Prague. Farjestad trailed 1-0 after two periods, but scored twice in the third for a huge road victory. In the return match in Karlstad, Sparta led late, but Farjestad got a tying goal from Tim Stapleton in the last minute. Sparta won in overtime, but the point gained meant that Farjestad needed only a point in the last game against Cracovia to win the group. They got that easily with a 7-0 win. Now the hard part begins. In their first two years, Farjestad didn't get very far in the CHL. Now they are looking to break into the sweet 16 for the first time, but standing in their way are the Czech champions.

Following a strong Extraliga campaign which ended with the White Tigers claiming their first Czech championship title this spring, the team from northern Bohemia was looking to continue their supremacy in international club hockey. Last year, the team got to the Round of 16 where they lost out to HC Davos – this season the aim is surely higher. After the group stage, however, it remains unclear whether this squad has what it takes in comparison with international teams. They finished right in the middle of their group, taking five of six points against Lorenskog IK from Norway, but only one of six from TPS Turku of Finland. Now they play another Nordic club that will be more comparable to TPS than to Lorenskog, so they have their work cut out for them.

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