Polish Ekstraliga champions JKH GKS Jastrzębie will be suiting up for their inaugural Champions Hockey League appearance against ICE-HL's HC Bolzano.

Jastrzębie boast an impressive roster that’s confident they can bring a high level of hockey when they touch the ice.

Slovakian forward Roman Rac joined the club last season and produced 35 points in 36 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring. On the backend, defenceman Mateusz Bryk led all the Jastrzębie blueliners in the season, scoring five goals and 15 assists in 35 games and making 14 playoff appearances in the postseason.

In net, the Polish side will deploy veteran netminder, Patrik Nechvátal. In his freshman campaign with the club, Nechvátal led the club to a 25-8-0 record, as he backstopped his team all the way to the finals and helped them secure the organization’s first title.

On the other side of the puck, Bolzano also put together a successful run in their domestic league but could not close it out with a championship. Nevertheless, the Italian side has some CHL experience having played in 2014/15 as well as 2018/19.

Bolzano’s Sports Manager, Dieter Knoll, was a part of each iteration and recognizes that the clubs in Group H, “are definitely teams not to be underestimated.” Especially the Polish side: “We found this out three years ago when we struggled against the then Polish champions, Tychy,” he admits.

For the Foxes, making a run at this year's European Trophy will depend on their veterans in addition to their new acquisitions. Chief among these is their captain, Anton Bernard, who has donned the red and white sweater since 2008.

Defenceman Mathew Maione also merits some consideration. Maione, who last laced up in the DEL with fellow CHL club Red Bull Munich, scored seven points in 15 games with Munich and added two more in as many playoff matches.    

With both squads set to meet each other for the first time, the game is up for grabs. Each side has a strong system that enables them to make a deep run, so it’ll be interesting to see how well they utilise the ice. For the newcomers, this could be their chance to make a splash on their CHL debut. For the veterans, this could be their chance to prove the age-old adage that the third time really is the charm.