After a few weeks off, the Aalborg Pirates welcome Group A’s leading club, Luleå Hockey for their first CHL encounter.

Coming in at fourth place in Group A, Aalborg have their work cut out for them as they take on already-qualified Luleå. Despite being the reigning Danish champions and taking home a win against Sparta Prague on opening day, Aalborg have been unable to keep the wins coming, losing all subsequent matches, with the most recent being a shutout loss against Jukurit Mikkeli.  

Garth Murray, Head Coach for the Danes, had this to say about his team’s upcoming match against the Swedes: “Luleå will come with speed, skill, structure and high compete, so there’s no doubt our hands will be full against them. It will be a fast-paced game where time and space won’t come easy, so the right mindset must be there from puck drop.”

Luleå, on the other hand, have fared far better in their fifth CHL season, winning all four matches thus far. Head Coach Thomas Berglund conveyed this message when asked to comment on their upcoming match against Aalborg: “It’s always fun to play teams from leagues that we have not played against before. Even if they probably rank the lowest in the group, we know that there are no easy games in the CHL.”

If Aalborg come ready for a fight, they best watch out for Luleå’s top scorer, forward Isac Brännström, who has already amassed four goals and four assists.

Will Aalborg grab their first win at home, or will undefeated Luleä keep their winning streak alive?