The Champions Hockey League Quarter-Finals will come and go in the next eight days, but before all the mayhem starts, here's a list of eight players to look out for on the ice. Some are picks off the beaten path that have slowly but surely been making their way into the spotlight, others are big name seasoned veterans that will keep their cool in the all-or-nothing knockout games.
Marco Kasper
The Austrian youngster was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in last year's NHL Entry Draft but has been kept at Rögle to further develop and that he's been doing! In eight games, he's already scored nine points (4G, 5A), equalling his total CHL output from last season, and is his team's Top Scorer. The quick forward, who likes to play deep in the zone, could play a major role against a defensively compact Tappara - keep an eye on #24!
Christian Heljanko
Table-topping goaltending from Christian Heljanko, who played in both of his side's Round of 16 games, has been making a huge impact on Tappara Tampere's game this season.
With seven CHL games to his name in 2022/23, the 25-year-old Finnish International has an outstanding 95.60 Save %, having let only 1.12 goals into his net per game. He's also recorded three shutouts, his last being Tappara's 1-0 Round of 16 First Game win over HC Davos.
He's all but certain to feature in the Quarter-Finals and will without a doubt play an important role in the game!
Konstantin Komarek
Konstantin Komarek is in his second consecutive season in the services of Luleå Hockey in Sweden and, especially of late, he's been more and more visible on the ice in the CHL. The 30-year-old Austrian forward has scored in three of his side's last four games and enters the Quarter-Finals with four goals to his name.
Despite not boasting out of this world stats, Komarek has a sense of positioning that pushes him to be in the right positions in the right time and with two all-or-nothing QF games in the books for Luleå in December, every goal could end up being the decider and Komarek could definitely be the one to produce them.
Ryan Lasch
Well, you must have seen this one coming... 35-year-old Ryan Lasch is at it again - in eight games, the American winger has racked up six goals and a whopping 13 assists! His combined 19 points mean he's been scoring an out-of-this-world 2.375 points per game. That doesn't just make him Frölunda Gothenburg's top goal and point scorer, but also the CHL's!
His tremendous offensive instincts and vision have helped his teammates score, but six goals (nearly one a game) prove he can also take responsibility himself - all in all, he's the full package. Watch out for his skillful puck play on the powerplay.
Patrik Puistola
At just 21 years of age, Patrik Puistola is one of Jukurit's younger players, but the Finnish native is one of their most productive. The forward has racked up seven points so far this season (1G, 6A) and is one of Jukurit's only players to be on a point per game.
Puistola was drafted 73rd overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019 but has remained in Finland since then. His creative and clever plays have set up his teammates for countless goals and that's what he excells at - watch out for his killer puck movement!
Lukáš Cingel
Mountfield HK's Lukáš Cingel isn't his side's top scorer, or his side's top goal scorer, but he's proved his worth time and time again this season. With eight points (3G, 5A) he's a consistent contributor and was the hero in his team's Round of 16 clash with Färjestad Karlstad, scoring the Return Game OT-winner on an otherwise two-goal night for the 30-year-old.
Cingel is a veteran of six prior CHL seasons and was with Mountfield when they made it all the way to the CHL Final in 2019/20. He keeps his calm and helps his teammates whenever he can, the perfect team-first type.
Rickard Hugg
Skellefteå AIK's Rickard Hugg has been one of the best forwards of the season. With seven goals and four assists, he's scored an average of 1.57 points per game and leads his team with goals scored. CHL-wide, he's the second-best goal scorer (behind Eisbären Berlin's Zach Boychuk who scored eight goals in the Group Stage) and is in the Top 5 on the Points Scored Leaderboard.
The 23-year-old Sweden international scored 44 points in the SHL last season, a career best for him, and he's been putting up even better numbers domestically so far this season, not only on the pan-European stage.
Hugg has shown us his great vision, positional play and his ability to score when a chance comes - he could play a major role in Skellefteå's Quarter-Finals games!
Brian O'Neill
Brian O'Neill is just one of those players that is seemingly everywhere on the ice. The 33-year-old ex-Nhler might be in his first season with EV Zug, and in his first season in the CHL, but he seemingly didn't need any time to adjust because he's already scored 16 points (5G, 11A) in the pan-European competition! That's three points per game.
With numbers like that, he's one of the most effective players of the season so far and will without doubt play an important role in Zug's upcoming Quarter-Finals games against Mountfield.
Don't miss all these players in action during this week's Quarter-Finals First Games on Tuesday and Wednesday and next week's Return Games!