2016-17 Champions Hockey League

[duga]

And of course, Congratz to Gotteron!

Who would've thought that, before the season. They were considered the weakest of all 6 Swiss CHL teams. And they are way down in the NLA-Ranking.

They haven't had the toughest road yet. A team like Frölunda is 2 steps ahead IMO.


Average GK (U20 Hero Benjamin Conz)

Average D, only Yannick Rathgeb stands out, dangerous player on PP.

Attack is the best part by far.

Bykov/Sprunger are leaders of this team for a long time. Cervenka, Mauldin, Birner and Ritola are the Imports on offense. The rest are more or less fillers on this level.

 

[scipio]

As a ZSC fan the only positive thing after yesterday nights game, were the fans that traveled from Zürich to Sweden.

The game itself was just a blueprint of many games my team has shown this season (and in previous years). Not sure about the penalty that led to the final goal though. Nevertheless, congrats to Växjö and their fans. Looking forward to next years CHL.

 

[vorky]

Interesting article about CHL by eurohockey.com

 

[Jablkon]

Interesting article about CHL by eurohockey.com

I rised exactly that question in another czech hockey forum. From czech perspective it does not make any sense. Most of these matches are better than ordinary czech league games in many aspects. I guess it just needs time and also fans have to know that club takes it seriously and is able to compete. I found just three clubs where I can guarantee both conditions: Trinec, Liberec, Sparta. The rest is questionable.

Another thing that came to my mind is that fans sometimes enjoy their easy hockey with beer and sausage and prefer their league rather than to see their club "naked" with all mistakes and players look like pilons......

People still consider CZ as one of top hockey nation. In that case you dont want to see your club loosing to some team from Belarus. I guess it could be similar as in soccer Champions league or Euro league. Look at Inter Milan, they faced non attractive but quite good and highly motivated opponents and ended up last in group stage with 7000 spectators in their last game.

But overall there is no better time for this project than now. Teams never been so equal. I guess swedish and finnish fans believe their hockey programs are advanced, which is correct, so its hard to surprise them and make it attractive. But I am pretty sure that most clubs benefits from this confrontation and you see it every year. First year was all about Sweden and Finnland and now its getting more and more mixed.

 

[Slimmy]

I rised exactly that question in another czech hockey forum. From czech perspective it does not make any sense. Most of these matches are better than ordinary czech league games in many aspects. I guess it just needs time and also fans have to know that club takes it seriously and is able to compete. I found just three clubs where I can guarantee both conditions: Trinec, Liberec, Sparta. The rest is questionable.

Another thing that came to my mind is that fans sometimes enjoy their easy hockey with beer and sausage and prefer their league rather than to see their club "naked" with all mistakes and players look like pilons......

People still consider CZ as one of top hockey nation. In that case you dont want to see your club loosing to some team from Belarus. I guess it could be similar as in soccer Champions league or Euro league. Look at Inter Milan, they faced non attractive but quite good and highly motivated opponents and ended up last in group stage with 7000 spectators in their last game.

But overall there is no better time for this project than now. Teams never been so equal. I guess swedish and finnish fans believe their hockey programs are advanced, which is correct, so its hard to surprise them and make it attractive. But I am pretty sure that most clubs benefits from this confrontation and you see it every year. First year was all about Sweden and Finnland and now its getting more and more mixed.

I think that the failures in the past of creating a Champions Hockey League, in part, has fans sceptical. It takes time to wash away the amateurish image fans have. Holding the group stage in pre-season is something that will have to be rectified in the future. As it is there are several things about this competition that needs improvement in order for it to garner more media attention and prestige.

It's still very much in its infancy but clear improvements have been made from its inception and with next years edition featuring less teams and no more guaranteed spots, that you actually qualify for the CHL based on sportive achievements, will have a positive effect.

The fact that teams earn a spot in the CHL if they finish high in the standings in the domestic league is a particularly important step. Not only does it give the CHL a sense of fairness but the individual domestic leagues will lend some of its prestige as teams will be awarded a spot in the CHL for their efforts.

Hopefully with increased parity more and more fans will be able to enjoy the CHL playoffs and come to appreciate what a completely unique experience it is. International club hockey is a rarity, after all.

I have embraced this league from the start. Not blindly, of coarse, but I truly believe that this is the way forward and the conviction of the clubs involved show this is not a one off as in the past. I'm glad there are more fans out there that have come to embrace it.

Whichever teams face off in the finals, I will be watching. Cheers!

 

[Slimmy]

As a ZSC fan the only positive thing after yesterday nights game, were the fans that traveled from Zürich to Sweden.

The game itself was just a blueprint of many games my team has shown this season (and in previous years). Not sure about the penalty that led to the final goal though. Nevertheless, congrats to Växjö and their fans. Looking forward to next years CHL.

From my limited viewings of teams from other leagues, Swiss fans are nucking futs. Love their antics.

 

[Yabob]

It could be added that the attendence numbers mentioned from last night's game in Linköping was wildly inaccurate. The number of people who actually attended the game were somewhere between 300 and 400 (even though the official numer was 1 128).

The attendence numbers for this particular game was of course hurt a lot by the fact that Frölunda started it with a four goal lead. The fans know Frölunda well enough to realise that there were no hope of Linköping advancing (and so spent their time and money elsewhere). The teams seemed to know it as well and as expected the "game" looked like a practise with some paying spectators.

 

[vorky]

Czech Public TV dont buy CHL rights because 1 CHL season is 1,5times more (+costs for making signal) expesive than biathlon for 4 years

 

[vorky]

KHL President said that CHL offered the KHL to join the CHL at its final stage. KHL is not interested in such model. KHL offers CHL champion to play against best KHL club/s to test the market.

 

[joshyhockey26]

KHL President said that CHL offered the KHL to join the CHL at its final stage. KHL is not interested in such model. KHL offers CHL champion to play against best KHL club/s to test the market.

Now that would be interesting. Even just a "one off" game could be fun.

 

[Appleyard]

It would be great to see like the top ~6 KHL teams each year included.

I dunno how it would work... would probably have to cut the 'founding teams' getting an auto spot to make it ideal.

KHL: 6 teams
SHL: 5 teams
Liiga: 5 teams
Extraliga: 4 teams
NLA: 4 teams
DEL: 4 teams
Austrian: 3 teams
Slovakia: 2 teams
Norway: 2 teams
France: 2 team
Denmark: 2 team
Belarus: 1 team
Poland: 1 team
UK: 1 team
Italy: 1 team
Hungary: 1 team
Latvia: 1 team
Kazakhstan: 1 team

+ Continental cup Winners & Runners up

to make up the 48 seems pretty fair IMO.

Would make all the teams get so 'up' for it as well... winning it as a non-KHL club would be a massive deal, and quite possible for ~4-5 clubs if have nice draw.

 

[Slimmy]

It would be great to see like the top ~6 KHL teams each year included.

I dunno how it would work... would probably have to cut the 'founding teams' getting an auto spot to make it ideal.

KHL: 6 teams
SHL: 5 teams
Liiga: 5 teams
Extraliga: 4 teams
NLA: 4 teams
DEL: 4 teams
Austrian: 3 teams
Slovakia: 2 teams
Norway: 2 teams
France: 2 team
Denmark: 2 team
Belarus: 1 team
Poland: 1 team
UK: 1 team
Italy: 1 team
Hungary: 1 team
Latvia: 1 team
Kazakhstan: 1 team

+ Continental cup Winners & Runners up

to make up the 48 seems pretty fair IMO.

Would make all the teams get so 'up' for it as well... winning it as a non-KHL club would be a massive deal, and quite possible for ~4-5 clubs if have nice draw.

As of next season there are no "auto spots". All teams need to qualify. The amount of teams has also been reduced to 32.

 

[Appleyard]

As of next season there are no "auto spots". All teams need to qualify. The amount of teams has also been reduced to 32.

Ah, did not know that. Thanks!

Makes sense though. Pretty silly when like half of the SHL and Liiga are in the tournament.

 

[Jussi]

Ah, did not know that. Thanks!

Makes sense though. Pretty silly when like half of the SHL and Liiga are in the tournament.

Most of the founders of the tournament come from those leagues so...

 

[Shawn Heins 44]

Frölunda running up the score. Don't know a single thing about Fribourg. Any Swiss poster care to chime in?

A bit later for an answer but better than nothing.

We can be a very very fun, creative and fast team to watch. The problem is, when things get real and physical we tend to also completely fall apart. Last year we started out great in the season and played without much pressure. It showed and although there was a bad phase later in the season we made the playoffs relatively easy.

This season has been pretty much a disaster. Started out bad and the pressure started to come very early in the season. The only ones that showed up at least offensively on a consistent basis are probably Sprunger and Cervenka. If you can control the lines of these two there is not much more to fear.
In the Champions League we played without any pressure because not even the group stage would have been an issue to fail in. It is quite the sensation that we made it to the semis and Frölunda has to be considered a huge favorite.

Your problem could be if we score early and get the flow going, then we can be very dangerous. Our powerplay clicks really good at times. Rathgeb has a bomb from the point and Cervenka is a great set up guy. Sprunger is there to pick up the rebounds.
Our goaltending and defense are probably the biggest issues. Neither Conz nor Saikkonen have played any good in goal this year, they will have to stand on their heads for us to have a chance. Also we dont have many physical guys.

Generally a good matchup for us is a team that is trying to play a similar style, with speed and offensive push, that should give us some space to counter attack with your speed. If Frölunda has a more controlled game, I see us being in trouble to be honest. Anyway, just by looking at your results in the last rounds I feel like we need a miracle to get through, we are nowhere near the level of Bern and Zürich on a consistent basis.

I hope the Fribourg supporters will show up to the home game (they haven't really done so in the CL yet), they can be one of the best and most enthusiastic audiences I have witnessed.

 

[Slimmy]

A bit later for an answer but better than nothing.

We can be a very very fun, creative and fast team to watch. The problem is, when things get real and physical we tend to also completely fall apart. Last year we started out great in the season and played without much pressure. It showed and although there was a bad phase later in the season we made the playoffs relatively easy.

This season has been pretty much a disaster. Started out bad and the pressure started to come very early in the season. The only ones that showed up at least offensively on a consistent basis are probably Sprunger and Cervenka. If you can control the lines of these two there is not much more to fear.
In the Champions League we played without any pressure because not even the group stage would have been an issue to fail in. It is quite the sensation that we made it to the semis and Frölunda has to be considered a huge favorite.

Your problem could be if we score early and get the flow going, then we can be very dangerous. Our powerplay clicks really good at times. Rathgeb has a bomb from the point and Cervenka is a great set up guy. Sprunger is there to pick up the rebounds.
Our goaltending and defense are probably the biggest issues. Neither Conz nor Saikkonen have played any good in goal this year, they will have to stand on their heads for us to have a chance. Also we dont have many physical guys.

Generally a good matchup for us is a team that is trying to play a similar style, with speed and offensive push, that should give us some space to counter attack with your speed. If Frölunda has a more controlled game, I see us being in trouble to be honest. Anyway, just by looking at your results in the last rounds I feel like we need a miracle to get through, we are nowhere near the level of Bern and Zürich on a consistent basis.

I hope the Fribourg supporters will show up to the home game (they haven't really done so in the CL yet), they can be one of the best and most enthusiastic audiences I have witnessed.

Thanks for that.

Cervenka and Sprunger are both familiar to me. I'm certain I've seen both play in the WC over the years.
This certainly sounds like a fun matchup. The teams Frölunda has had issues with plays a speedy high pressure game.
Frölunda want to control the game and will seldom if ever dump and chase. They play a very modern offensive type hockey with skilled defenceman able to transport the puck out of their zone or calm things down.
Their PP is absolutely deadly. Any team that are up against Frölunda need to stay away from the penalty box and from your description Fribourg, not being a very physical and gritty team, could very well manage that.
Frölunda has a lot of depth and skilled players on all positions. It's filled to the brims with talent. Some players to keep an eye out for are:

Carl Grundström F (19) - Tied for third in SHL for goals.
Rasmus Dahlin D (16) - The most promising D prospect to come out of Sweden. Hype is real.
Jacob Larsson D (19),
Kristian Vesalainen F (17),
Filip Westerlund D (17).

 

[Jussi]

Thanks for that.

Cervenka and Sprunger are both familiar to me. I'm certain I've seen both play in the WC over the years.
This certainly sounds like a fun matchup. The teams Frölunda has had issues with plays a speedy high pressure game.
Frölunda want to control the game and will seldom if ever dump and chase. They play a very modern offensive type hockey with skilled defenceman able to transport the puck out of their zone or calm things down.
Their PP is absolutely deadly. Any team that are up against Frölunda need to stay away from the penalty box and from your description Fribourg, not being a very physical and gritty team, could very well manage that.
Frölunda has a lot of depth and skilled players on all positions. It's filled to the brims with talent. Some players to keep an eye out for are:

Carl Grundström F (19) - Tied for third in SHL for goals.
Rasmus Dahlin D (16) - The most promising D prospect to come out of Sweden. Hype is real.
Jacob Larsson D (19),
Kristian Vesalainen F (17),
Filip Westerlund D (17).

Playing for HPK on loan, could finish the season there. Seems to be enjoying it.

 

[jn]

Frölunda look like a good bet for the final, beating Fribourg 5-1 in the first semi.

 

[Jablkon]

1300 people in Vaxjo today. This league looks like everybody wants to win it but no one wants to see it. I am also afraid czech hockey is in swiss position ten years ago. No one cares you have a good team when you suck internationaly. Having to say I quite understand to it

 

[vorky]

1300 people in Vaxjo today. This league looks like everybody wants to win it but no one wants to see it. I am also afraid czech hockey is in swiss position ten years ago. No one cares you have a good team when you suck internationaly. Having to say I quite understand to it

Frolunda even did not play at Scandinavium (capacity over 12k), because they knew they would be not able to sell it out. And it is SEMI-finals.

 

[Exarz]

It would be great to see like the top ~6 KHL teams each year included.

I dunno how it would work... would probably have to cut the 'founding teams' getting an auto spot to make it ideal.

KHL: 6 teams
SHL: 5 teams
Liiga: 5 teams
Extraliga: 4 teams
NLA: 4 teams
DEL: 4 teams
Austrian: 3 teams
Slovakia: 2 teams
Norway: 2 teams
France: 2 team
Denmark: 2 team
Belarus: 1 team
Poland: 1 team
UK: 1 team
Italy: 1 team
Hungary: 1 team
Latvia: 1 team
Kazakhstan: 1 team

+ Continental cup Winners & Runners up

to make up the 48 seems pretty fair IMO.

Would make all the teams get so 'up' for it as well... winning it as a non-KHL club would be a massive deal, and quite possible for ~4-5 clubs if have nice draw.

I would rather keep this tournament small with 16 teams.

KHL: 3 teams – Western and Eastern Conference champions plus Gagarin Cup champion
SHL: 2 teams – League champion and playoff champion
Liiga: 2 teams – Playoff champion and league champion/Jokerit (some kind of qualification round between those two)
NLA: 2 teams – Playoff champion and league champion
Czech Extraliga 2 teams – Playoff champion and league champion
CHL champion

The other 4 spots will be based on some kind of qualification system for the 4th seeded place in each group. Also, letting the foreign KHL teams and EBEL teams participate under their federation would increase the quality and importance of the tournament (for example, letting Jokerit participate as a "Finnish" team, Dinamo Riga represents Latvia, Slovan qualifying for a Slovak spot, Bolzano represents Italy etc.)

If we go by last year's results, the groups could look something like this

Group A:		Group B:		Group C:		Group D:
Frölunda (C)	Metallurg Mg	SC Bern		Tappara
HIFK/Jokerit	Skellefteå	CSKA		Avangard
ZSC Lions	Liberec		Sparta		Linköping/Kärpät[B]*[/B]
Slovan ?		München ?	Din. Minsk ?	Salzburg ?

* As Frölunda already qualified as both CHL Champion and playoff champion, their spot would either go to Kärpät as runner's up in the CHL, or Linköping based on the SHL standings

I know this won't happen in the near future (or in ever) but I believe this is the ideal format for a European tournament that includes only the best teams available.

 

[mitch mdv zg]

I like the format change.

I was a bit skeptical about it in the start, there were too many teams (of questional quality) included. But this what's planned for next season looks fine. No more auto-spots, no more founding members. It would be fine if part of group stage would be played after domestic leagues start.

I hope my Bears qualify soon, once we (unfortunately) leave the KHL.

 

[lakers11]

Hopefully this will be lakers final season in CHL

 

[bordshockeypampen]

Hopefully this will be lakers final season in CHL

So, you don't want Lakers to be one of the five best teams in SHL?

 

[lakers11]

So, you don't want Lakers to be one of the five best teams in SHL?

Eh

I want them to give their spot to someone else. I think Luleå should have it