The 2026/27 Champions Hockey League season gets underway with this exciting match-up between Czech challengers HC Pilsen and Swedish side Rögle Ängelholm. Rögle are entering their third season after being away for the past three, while Pilsen's absence from the CHL has been a bit longer, with their last qualification coming for the 2019/20 campaign. 

The Czechs made a massive leap in their domestic league this past year, improving from an eighth-place finish in 2024/25 to regular-season runners-up this past season to earn their place in the CHL. Despite their low sample size, Pilsen have had decent success on the CHL's European stage, qualifying for the Playoffs in all three of their past entries and managing to reach the Semi-Finals back in 2018/19. 

Their opponents are also entering their third campaign but with one key distinction - a CHL title under their belt. Rögle managed to claim the European Trophy in their inaugural season in 2021/22, defeating Finnish side Tappara Tampere by a 2-1 final. They automatically qualified for the 2022/23 season where they reached the Quarter-Finals, only to be ousted by Tappara but are now back and hungrier than ever to return to winning ways!