With seven prior appearances in the Champions Hockey League and a third-placed finish in their regular season, Skellefteå AIK have qualified for their eighth CHL season! The Swedish team enter the competition with a wealth of experience and confidence. Their 2022/23 campaign saw the black and gold jerseys skate their way into the Quarter-Finals, where they would be bested by compatriots Frölunda Gothenburg. 

Head Coach Robert Ohlsson’s side will be hosting ICE champions Red Bull Salzburg, Czech Extraliga regular season winners Dynamo Pardubice and French champions Rouen Dragons during their season-opening games which all be at home: “We will play some great teams to begin with! Together with that, our aim is to control the game and dictate the way we want to play.” Control on the ice is something Skellefteå did well last season thanks to a solid backbone of mostly homegrown Swedish players including captain Oscar Möller, Gustaf Lindvall and blueliner Jonathan Pudas who finished third in scoring for his side.  

Top Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg post an equally impressive record. The ICE champions beat HC Bolzano to secure back-to-back national titles. Although this season marks their eighth year of participation in the CHL, they’ve been stuck behind the gate during their last two campaigns, unable to get past the Round of 16.

Salzburg hope to change that, and have been busy building their roster. Defender Ryan Murphy has been acquired from KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, along with forward Adam Payerl who has spent the last five seasons with DEL’s Augsburger Panther. 

Sazburg Head Coach Oliver David is upbeat about the impending match: “The level of the SHL is incredibly high, and these guys came just short of a championship. It goes without saying, we will need to be on our toes for this game.”