We spoke to representatives of our three DEL participants from Germany following the CHL Draw in Stockholm, Sweden to find out what their goals were for the upcoming season, what they thought about their six Regular Season opponents and who they were most looking forward to playing.
ERC Ingolstadt return to the Champions Hockey League after sitting out 2024/25. The last time they played, the German side wowed Europe with their spectacular fans and made it to the Round of 16 - their best-ever performance in the competition. Heading into their fifth season on Europe's biggest club ice hockey stage, is the goal to build on that success?
"Playing in the CHL is a privelage and an honour"Tim Regan, ERC Ingolstadt
"Playing with the best teams in Europe is a great experience for our team," said Tim Regan, sport director of ERC Ingolstadt, "the exposure for our club is the goal."
"Our line-up is very competitive. We have two great Finnish teams coming to Ingolstadt, we're looking forward to some great hockey," said Regan, commenting on their 2025/26 Regular Season Draw. Who stands out as the opponent they are most looking forward to facing?
In some aspects, it's the Odense Bulldogs, with Regan highlighting the excitement around what this CHL newcomer has to offer.
Sebastian Furchner, sport manager of Pinguins Bremerhaven, said the main focus for their third CHL season is to make the Playoffs, but also play good hockey and good games on the journey.
"We have some very tough but exciting opponents," said Furchner when asked about the draw itself, "facing the reigning CHL Champions is going to be big, but there's no special opponent for us!"
Stéphane Richer, sport director of reigning DEL champions Eisbären Berlin, said the goals haven't changed from last year: make the Playoffs!
"We have an interesting set of opponents to face, lots of different leagues to go up against. It's going to be real fun going to Norway and facing the two Austrian teams," he commented on Berlin's six Regular Season opponents.
Now the question everybody dreads: who are the one opponent you're most looking forward to facing? After some back and forth, the decision landed on Frölunda Gothenburg.
"They've always been a strong team and have won the Champions Hockey League many times before, so we'll definitely be looking forward to meeting them," ended Richer.
Be sure to return to our website for more reactions to the 2025/26 CHL Draw and other news! Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X to keep up to date on all the latest CHL action.