Pinguins Bremerhaven will face off against Skellefteå AIK at the Eisarena Bremerhaven to kick off their Round of 16 campaign in the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League season. Both teams delivered strong performances in the Regular Season, with Bremerhaven finishing in 11th place, while Skellefteå climbed even higher to secure 6th. This match-up promises an intriguing clash between two well-prepared teams eager to progress further in the Playoffs.

This game marks a rematch, as the teams recently met in their final Regular Season battle on Game Day 6. That encounter was fiercely contested, stretching into overtime. Skellefteå struck early, gaining the upper hand and leaving Bremerhaven scrambling to stay in the game, as their ticket to the Playoffs was still uncertain. Bremerhaven’s persistence shined through late in the third period when they finally levelled the score, netting two goals to push the game into overtime. However, Skellefteå capitalised on an extra-man advantage to secure victory, illustrating how tightly matched and unpredictable these teams can be.

Bremerhaven’s Regular Season was solid, with three wins out of six games. They kicked things off with an impressive victory over reigning CHL Champions Genève-Servette, setting a strong tone. A narrow loss to Lausanne HC followed on Game Day 2, decided by a last-minute goal. Bremerhaven then powered through with decisive wins over SønderjyskE Vojens and the Rouen Dragons. They concluded the Regular Season with their close overtime loss to Skellefteå, making this Playoff rematch even more thrilling.

Skellefteå, however, had an even stronger season, with only two losses in six games. They fell to the Straubing Tigers in a shootout on Game Day 2 and lost to the Sheffield Steelers on Game Day 4. Otherwise, they claimed victories over Red Bull Salzburg, Lahti Pelicans, Fehérvár AV19, and Bremerhaven, demonstrating consistency and strength across the six-game first phase of Europe's biggest club ice hockey competition.

For Bremerhaven, keep an eye on Žiga Jeglič, the Slovenian forward who ranked among the top five forwards in the Regular Season. Jeglič played an important role with two goals and seven assists, helping his team in their journey to the Playoffs. Skellefteå’s Andreas Johnson has also been in excellent form, tallying six goals and an assist across five games, adding firepower to the Swedish side’s offence.

All in all, both teams have shown resilience and skill in reaching the Playoffs, each facing their ups and downs but proving themselves worthy contenders. With everything on the line in this Round of 16 battle, we can look forward to an intense and closely contested showdown.