BK Mladá Boleslav of the Czech Republic have the honour of opening the 2021/22 Champions Hockey League season, but have the unenvious task of welcoming defending champions Frölunda Gothenburg to Bohemia.

This is only the second appearance for Mladá Boleslav in the CHL, after their debut in 2016/17. Back then, they faced the Växjö Lakers of Sweden in their opening fixture and edged past the eventual Semi-Finalists 3-2 in a shootout. The Czech side's three pre-season games ahead of the CHL saw them lose two but they most recently beat Pilsen 5-1.

The team had an historic season in 2020/21, finishing third in the Extraliga, a club record high, and then making the semi-finals of the playoffs. Key players from that roster have been kept but the addition of players like Adam Jánošík, a CHL Semi-Finalist with Liberec, and Jan Eberle, who reached the same stage with Pilsen, give the roster some added European experience. Head coach Radim Rulik has been in charge of the team since 2019,

The return of Ryan Lasch to Frölunda after a season split between Finland and Switzerland means the defending champions can again call on the services of the three-time LGT Top Scorer, and two-time CHL MVP. The name most familiar to home fans will undoubtedly be Michael Špaček, who signed for the team after time in Finland and the Czech Republic last season. 

Frölunda's pre-season results have gone well with three wins out of four, and only four goals conceded in the last three games. The team led by Roger Rönnberg have lifted the European Trophy four times already and are aiming to make it five this season.