Ice hockey: Attractive CHL opponents for Salzburg and VSV
ice Hockey
The two Austrian ice hockey clubs Salzburg and VSV were drawn to attractive opponents for the group stage in the Champions Hockey League (CHL) draw on Wednesday in Tampere. In their seventh participation in Group E, ICE champions Salzburg meet Fribourg-Gotteron (SUI), debutant Ilves Tampere (FIN) and the Stavanger Oilers (NOR). In Group F, VSV faces Sweden’s champions Färjestad Karlstad, the Straubing Tigers (GER) and Continental Cup winner Comarch Cracovia (POL).
The CHL will be held in the coming season with 32 participants (seven debutants) from 13 countries. Olimpija Ljubljana and Fehervar AV19 are also there from the ICE league. The group stage will be played from September 1st to October 12th in eight groups of four in a round robin. The first and second placed teams advance to the playoffs.
The CHL has been firmly in Swedish hands since the start of the 2014/15 league. With Lulea (2015), record winner Frölunda Göteborg (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) and Rögle (2022) there were six successes for Swedish clubs, in 2018 only a Finnish team won with JYP Jyväskylä.