Champions Hockey League 2018/19

[wildboar]

The fifth season of the CHL starts on Thursday, so it is about time to start the new thread.

The season is again played by 32 teams, starting with 8 groups of 4.

Finnish team JYP are the defending champions. Nürnberg Ice Tigers (GER), Aalborg Pirates (DEN) and GKS Tychy (POL) make their debuts.

Six games will be played on Thursday, opening at 17:00 CET with Pilsen vs Lugano.

[the_kosa]

And we have the Top 16 although there are four games to be played today:

Frolunda Indians, ZSC Lions, Malmo Redhawks, Red Bull Munich, Skelleftea AIK, Bolzano Foxes, Zug, Kometa Brno, Tappara Tampere, Storhamar Dragons, Karpat Oulu, Rouen Dragons, Bern, Red Bull Salzburg, Plzen and Lugano have qualified to the next phase.

Rouen is certainly the biggest surprise, I believe first French team ever to qualify for the next phase in CHL, and they haven't had easy group with Mountfield and Nurnberg. Storhamar also had tough group through which they've qualified which is a bit surprising. Swiss teams continue their last season domination with neither of them getting eliminated in this phase.