Skellefteå AIK are already through as the winners of Group C. IFK Helsinki have a chance to get through as runners-up, but they aren’t in control of their own destiny. They are currently tied in points with HC Bolzano – however, Bolzano hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning that Helsinki must finish with more points than Bolzano, and therefore even a regulation victory does not guarantee advancement.

With Bolzano losing in Tychy last week, IFK Helsinki could have done themselves a huge favour by winning – or even getting a point – on home ice. However, they fell 5-1 to Skellefteå, leaving them with a tough task ahead of themselves in northern Sweden this week.

Skellefteå currently sit fifth in the 14-team SHL but the teams are the top are tightly compacted - they are only three points back of the second-place Malmö Redhawks with a game in hand. They have only played once domestically since last week’s CHL game, losing 3-2 in Mora on Saturday. IFK Helsinki are fourth in the 15-team Liiga, two points back of both Ilves Tampere and TPS Turku. Since last Tuesday, they lost 3-2 at home to TPS and then won 4-0 at KalPa.

With two and three points last week, respectively, linemates Joakim Lindström and Oscar Möller are Skellefteå’s top two scorers in both the CHL and SHL. Meanwhile, defenceman Teemu Eronen is the IFK Helsinki’s Top Scorer in the CHL with four points, while Erik Thorell leads domestically with 14.