Second-place finishers Sparta Prague will return to the Champions Hockey League following a one-year hiatus as they gear up to go against former CHL Champions Tappara Tampere, who will be looking for a bounce-back effort following last year's early exit in the Group Stage.

The team from the Czech capital enjoyed a successful regular season where they managed to finish second in the standings with 111 total points. However, that success ended in devastation as Sparta suffered an epic collapse in the semi-finals against eventual champions and fellow CHL alum Oceláři Třinec. Despite their disappointing end in the Extraliga, the Czechs expect great things for their club in the pan-European competition as they set their sights on one goal according to Petr Vosmík, namely, "Go for the cup!"

Former 2015 NHL Entry Draft second-round selection Filip Chlapík will be suiting up for his third full season with the club. Last year, the 27-year-old paced all Sparta players with 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 47 games. Coming into his prime, Chlapík has demonstrated he has the skill set to dictate play and create chances whenever he's on the ice.

Also worth a watch is former Tappara D-man Valtteri Kemiläinen who ended the regular season fourth in scoring with 36 points (9G, 27A) in 50 games. Going up against his former team on Game Day 1 should provide an extra incentive to showcase his abilities to his new club.

Tappara again dominated their domestic league, finishing atop the Liiga standings for a third straight year before going on to claim their third straight title after making quick work of their opponents in the Liiga postseason. Heading into the 2024/25 CHL campaign, the top team from Finland will be looking to right what went wrong for them last year and get back to their winning ways.

Despite a few key departures - namely star netminder Christian Heljanko and leading scorer Anton Levtchi - Tappara's squad boasts years of CHL experience. On offence, Nick Halloran demonstrated his playmaking abilities, mustering 19 goals and 24 assists in 60 games played. Halloran also shared the team lead in scoring in the CHL last season with four goals and four assists in six games.

Another asset is 27-year-old blueliner Otto Leskinen who already has six years of CHL experience. Last season in Liiga, the left-shot defenceman finished seventh in team scoring, managing six goals and 26 assists.