Champions Hockey League

[Jukurit]

Pretty obvious gap in level of play between Jukurit and Luleå. Still, enjoyed watching the game. Luleå plays some good hockey!

 

[SoundAndFury]

And probably the biggest upset of the tournament at the same group so far, Aalborg is about to beat Sparta Prague fair and square. Sparta just getting completely outplayed in the 3rd.

 

[Brunkmeister]

Pretty obvious gap in level of play between Jukurit and Luleå. Still, enjoyed watching the game. Luleå plays some good hockey!

Luleå boring as f***. But they sure are fun to beat. You finns should do something so you can reach Sweden on clublevel too.

 

[Brunkmeister]

Villach might have been the worst team i’ve ever seen. Could seriously ended 20-0 easily.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

1st upset: Aalborg Pirates beat Sparta Prague

 

[Ciccarelli]

Luleå boring as f***. But they sure are fun to beat. You finns should do something so you can reach Sweden on clublevel too.

Kärpät beat Luleå just days ago though. CHL is a bit flawed concept in the sence that, atleast from Finland, it's never all the best teams representing. ATM Kärpät is probably the strongest team from Finland or tied with Tappara.

 

[Lartsaman]

Luleå boring as f***. But they sure are fun to beat. You finns should do something so you can reach Sweden on clublevel too.

Our league was pretty much buried when they closed it down in 2000. Before that our club teams managed to win some European Cups.

 

[karhukissa]

Our league was pretty much buried when they closed it down in 2000. Before that our club teams managed to win some European Cups.

SM-Liiga was the best league after NHL for many years before they closed it down, now it's just a development league aside from Tampere teams, Kärpät and HIFK.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Upset alert: Stavanger Oilers defeated Fribourg

 

[SoundAndFury]

After ALMOST getting something out of their game against Rogle, Katowice manage to at least draw (at this point) Zurich. Pretty crazy.

 

[filip85]

And....good job Katowice !

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Fun start to the tournament!

 

[SoundAndFury]

I had hard time not to turn this into another "Eye of Ra is dumb" post but look at the absolute drubbing of DEL teams Frolunda and Farjestad are dishing out....

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Belfast be wildin'! 3-3 against Davos, Davos will win in the end tho

 

[Czechboy]

Finally found Ostap Safin... 4th line for Sparta Praha. I knew the Oiler's didn't qualify him... didn't know where he ended up. Shame, career derailed by so many injuries. Hope he gets a good Euro career going!

 

[Jukurit]

TPS center depth was pretty brutal against EV Zug. Intonen, Munkki, Marjala, Jasu. 3rd line center, 4th line center and 2 rookies. Yikes!

 

[SoundAndFury]

Villach might have been the worst team i’ve ever seen.

They are reportedly struggling with a stomach bug, dressing only 9 forwards today.

 

[Eye of Ra]

After ALMOST getting something out of their game against Rogle, Katowice manage to at least draw (at this point) Zurich. Pretty crazy.

Katowice doing this good is no suprise for us who is following the polish league. Its a league that has become better and better.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Katowice doing this good is no suprise for us who is following the polish league. Its a league that has become better and better.

Their salary budget is less than Texier alone, no surprise my ass.

Their best players are still guys who have played in the Polish league for years (Pasiut, Fraszko and, arguably, Murray) plus they lost arguably their most talented player in Wronka who moved to Krakow.

Their imports this season are: 2 Mestis guys, 1 Finn who came to Poland via Denmark after failing in Liiga (de facto Mestis guy), the Japanese player who wanted to try himself out in Europe after being ~0.6 PPG in Asia league, Magee who had a bad season in the EIHL, and 2 Swedes who outgrew HocheyEttan but couldn't get good deals in the Allsvenskan.

Please, show me where this great improvement lies and why I shouldn't be surprised when this rag-tag army beats a team with 5 NHL-level players. Or stop talking bullshit to people who take your posts seriously because they don't know any better.

The Polish league has improved a lot in terms of depth, it now has 7 fairly even teams who have actual budgets to pay the professional players. Having said that, the top-end salary in the league is still the worst among the leagues participating in the CHL. So even though your point about Polish league getting "better and better" has some merit (although it has largely stayed the same over the last 3 seasons) that improvement truly doesn't really reflect at the European level. You could make a point Katowice, for example, has the 4th or 5th best roster in Poland itself but they still became champions because the margins are that close.

It's kinda hilarious you would pick a fight in "knowing the Polish league" with me, of all people Let's see how it works out for you. How are C-grade SHL teams doing by the way? 7-2-0-1 truly reflects their 3rd tier status.

 

[Jukurit]

Their salary budget is less than Texier alone, no surprise my ass.

Their best players are still guys who have played in the Polish league for years (Pasiut, Fraszko and, arguably, Murray) plus they lost arguably their most talented player in Wronka who moved to Krakow.

Their imports this season are: 2 Mestis guys, 1 Finn who came to Poland via Denmark after failing in Liiga (de facto Mestis guy), the Japanese player who wanted to try himself out in Europe after being ~0.6 PPG in Asia league, Magee who had a bad season in the EIHL, and 2 Swedes who outgrew HocheyEttan but couldn't get good deals in the Allsvenskan.

Please, show me where this great improvement lies and why I shouldn't be surprised when this rag-tag army beats a team with 5 NHL-level players. Or stop talking bullshit to people who take your posts seriously because they don't know any better.

The Polish league has improved a lot in terms of depth, it now has 7 fairly even teams who have actual budgets to pay the professional players. Having said that, the top-end salary in the league is still the worst among the leagues participating in the CHL. So even though your point about Polish league getting "better and better" has some merit (although it has largely stayed the same over the last 3 seasons) that improvement truly doesn't really reflect at the European level. You could make a point Katowice, for example, has the 4th or 5th best roster in Poland itself but they still became champions because the margins are that close.

It's kinda hilarious you would pick a fight in "knowing the Polish league" with me, of all people Let's see how it works out for you. How are C-grade SHL teams doing by the way? 7-2-0-1 truly reflects their 3rd tier status.

Katowice has some "big name" players in their roster in Niko Mikkola and Teemu Pulkkinen

 

[SoundAndFury]

Katowice has some "big name" players in their roster in Niko Mikkola and Teemu Pulkkinen

I think priorities of their selection process were obvious

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Katowice has some "big name" players in their roster in Niko Mikkola and Teemu Pulkkinen

The "other" ones.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Luleå boring as f***. But they sure are fun to beat. You finns should do something so you can reach Sweden on clublevel too.

Stick to soccer.

 

[Brunkmeister]

Stick to soccer.

It´s football. Even a Luleåsupporter should know that!

 

[SoundAndFury]

so 2 teams from every group advances?

Swedish teams are 14-1-1-2 in the competition so far. Any update on your "opinion" or you took your advice and decided to "not comment on a league you don't follow"?