Red Bull Salzburg will begin their seventh run for the European Trophy at home against a new opponent in Norwegian side Stavanger Oilers as the 2022/23 Champions Hockey League season gets underway.

The Norwegians' performance in the Fjordkraft-ligaen in 2021/22 netted them their second title in three seasons and has put them on a course to play against Europe's elite. It’s been five years since Stavanger last skated in the CHL, but now the national champions are back in the fold and in a Group that Sports Director Pål Haukali Higson believes his club, “can compete in” as long as they “bring [their] best game.”

So far, the Norwegian side have yet to crack the Round of 16 leg of the tournament. In four participations, Stavanger have only made it to the Playoffs once - their 2015/16 trip to the Round of 32. An improved roster, however, could be the solution to gaining ground this year. To that end, Stavanger signed three forwards in an effort to bolster their offensive depth, including Paul Bittner from DEL side Düsseldorfer EG and Colton Beck who skated in seven matches with Ilves Tampere last season.

Salzburg returned to the Round of 16 last season for a third consecutive time but came up short against surprise side Rouen Dragons. In their previous six appearances, the Austrians have shown a consistency few other clubs can lay claim to, managing to progress to the Playoffs each time, with their best outing coming during their 2018/19 effort culminating in a Semi-Final clash with Red Bull Munich.

Their tenure in ICE echoes that consistency, as they’ve been a regular in the playoffs for several seasons running. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Matt McIlvane, the Austrian side has reached the semi-final twice and finally won it all last season as Salzburg secured their seventh national title. A key component to Salzburg's success has been their ability to produce solid offence on a nightly basis.

Fortunately, the ICE champions have several marquee players signed through the 2022/23 season including Ty Loney and Thomas Raffl. Raffl (4G,4A) was third in scoring last year while Loney was fourth with four tallies and three assists for seven points.