The Eisbären could not play in the foreground in the preparation, they also lost against CHL starter Salzburg with Tolvanen (from left).
Photo: imago/Gepa
This time, four German clubs are playing in this Champions Hockey League (CHL), it starts this Wednesday. While the champions Eisbären Berlin, final opponents EHC Munich and the third-placed Grizzlys Wolfsburg approach with plenty of competitive experience, the Straubing Tigers are there for the first time as fourth in the main round last season. A total of 32 teams from Europe’s top leagues start in the premier class eight with their eight seasons of four teams each. The top two of each group will qualify for the knockout phase, a two-legged match, only the final will be decided in one game.
A total of twelve German teams have taken part since 2014, most of which did not progress beyond the group stage. The Munich bulls, who have meanwhile become one of the favourites, finally want to be crowned champions of Europe. »The Champions League is something very special for every player and coach. It’s a hard-fought competition at an elite level. In 2019 we just missed out on the title and last season we came very close as a semi-finalist. That gave us a lot of self-confidence,” says Munich’s coach Don Jackson and announces the message to the competition: “This time we want to bring the trophy home.”
In Group C, Munich will again meet Finland’s record champions and last year’s finalists Tappara Tampere, against whom they lost 3-0 in the semifinals last season, as well as Slovan Bratislava and Rapperswill-Jona Lakers from Switzerland. “We have a score to settle against Tampere, and we want to make that clear from the start,” announces Munich captain Patrick Hager.
After the last two German championships, the record holders Eisbären Berlin finally want to celebrate success in the European Cup. »We worked on the game system and fitness at the training camp. The chemistry within the team is excellent,” says head coach Serge Aubin. “That’s why I’m looking forward to the Champions League with great anticipation. It’s incredibly tough competition. We got a tough group, but we definitely want to qualify for the knockout phase.« Berlin’s outstanding striker Marcel Noebels also calls the Champions League »a challenge«. Although the game dates immediately before the start of the German ice hockey league in mid-September are “tight, but we will know how to improve”.
That will also be absolutely necessary. Because in the pre-season, which has been running since mid-August with a training camp in Austria and a number of friendlies, things didn’t really go well for the champion team, which had been reorganized with eleven new signings. The 3-2 win against the Swiss first division team Biel-Benne in the Dolomitencup is offset by four friendly defeats in a row, including a 4-1 defeat by Dynamo Pardubice in the final of the cup. “Nevertheless, I rate our pre-season preparations quite positively,” said Aubin. »The team is on the right track. If you lose but keep working hard, you can learn a lot.« The 20-year-old young Finnish star Juho Markkanen made a lasting impression on the new players as a debutant in goal. As the successor to national goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger, who moved to Munich, he has a special role to play.
The polar bears start twice away in the Champions League, on Thursday at French champions Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble and two days later at four-time CHL winners Frölunda HC Göteborg. The subsequent three home games against Gothenburg on September 8th, two days later against Grenoble and in early October against the Czechs from HK Mountfield will be played in the Corrugated Blechpalast because of the European Basketball Championship.
The other two German teams, Wolfsburg and Straubing, are unlikely to go beyond being outsiders. “But we also want to play well against big names,” says Wolfsburg’s head coach Mike Stewart. And Straubing’s trainer Tom Pokel emphasizes: “It’s our first CHL participation. I’m proud to be part of the Tigers story. We have nothing to lose.”
