The number-one seed Sheffield Steelers defeated the number-three seed Belfast Giants in the EIHL final to earn their tenth national title and third qualification to the Champions Hockey League. Their Swiss opponents, Fribourg-Gottéron, cemented their place in the CHL after finishing second in the NL this past season.

The Swiss side is returning to the pan-European competition with several players intact from their previous participation in 2022/23 where the team reached the Round of 16. Despite their experience, however, Fribourg have tempered their expectations. Team General Manager Gerd Zenhäusern understands that, "Everybody wants to be in the top 16 to make the Playoffs," but his club is simply looking, "to start well early in the season."

With 31 goals and 32 assists in 52 contests, returning forward Marcus Sörensen blew past his career bests last season in the NL and should be one to keep an eye on when the puck drops in September. Another familiar face is offensive defenceman, Ryan Gunderson, who added to his growing point totals when the 39-year-old registered 39 points (5G, 34A) in 51 games.

Six seasons without CHL action have Sheffield excited to get back into the fray. A long road awaits them, however, and the club's representative Aaron Fox is well aware, "there are no easy games and it's for sure going to be a difficult task for our group but it's something for us to work towards."

The club dominated their domestic league last season, securing 45 wins out of 54 games played. Canadian Mitchell Balmas played a big part in their success, skating in all 54 contests and compiling 66 points (23G, 43A) in his inaugural season with the team. Furthermore, netminder Matthew Greenfield was par excellence between the pipes, with a .930 SV% and a 1.93 GAA in 47 starts.