Ahead of the start of the upcoming Champions Hockey League season, we asked the Head Coaches of Unia Oświęcim's six Regular Season opponents what their thoughts are on the Polish team - here's what they had to say!
Ilves Tampere Head Coach Tommi Niemelä: “An interesting new opponent, champions of Poland. They’ll be a good challenge for us.”
Eisbären Berlin Head Coach Serge Aubin: “Unia Oświęcim are the Polish champions. They’re an opponent we’ve never played so far. That makes the task even more difficult. We know that we are not allowed to underestimate them.”
Red Bull Salzburg Head Coach Oliver David: “Unia Oświęcim have a storied history and come in as an unknown to many. Entering a competition as an unknown isn’t easy for anyone. They pose a real threat. I look forward to preparing for this game and learning why they are champions of Poland.”
KAC Klagenfurt Head Coach Kirk Furey: “Unia Oświęcim have qualified for the CHL for the very first time, they have deserved it with a lot of success in their domestic league. We expect that their goal will be to leave their mark on the European hockey map now, so we are prepared to take on a hardworking, feisty hockey team when we host them at Heidi Horten-Arena.”
Straubing Tigers Head Coach Tom Pokel: “Oświęcim are another 2024 league champion. Scoring a league-high 164 goals during their regular season, the Poles also had the best goal differential in the Polish league at +56. Coached by Slovenian Nik Zupančič – he is no stranger me! I coached Nik in 2004/05 in Austria. I am very familiar with his attention to detail and winning mentality. Nik has strong Finnish imports and a strong Polish captain (Kristian Dziubinski) scoring over 20 goals in his last 3 seasons with the team. As we know from our CHL games against Krakow in 2022, Polish teams are not ones to be taken lightly. This will be a very challenging away game for the Straubing Tigers.”
Oceláři Třinec Head Coach Zdeněk Moták: “We are looking forward to the game because it will be extremely interesting – especially for the fans. Those from Poland won’t have to travel far to Třinec. I believe that the game will be played in a fantastic atmosphere. As for the opponent, they’re the Polish champions. That’s why we will approach it with the utmost respect.”