Men's Ice Hockey IIHF European Champions Hockey League 2023 - 2024

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so, for the 2nd time ever (previously, 2018/2019 season), in the last 4 we have 4 teams coming from 4 different Nations (Leagues), the 4 best European leagues (KHL apart, but they never participated to the CHL) 

 

now it looks a true Champions League  

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Knockout Stage

 

Semifinals, 1st Leg

Tuesday 09.01.2024 - Schedule*

 

18:00  Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava (CZE) - Skellefteå AIK (SWE)

20:15  Genève-Servette HC (SUI) - Lukko Rauma (FIN)

 

*All times CET

 

 

Watch live

 

Check here for details of live TV broadcasts:

https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/fans/where-to-watch
 

Be careful! at least so far, Homeofhockey.tv website is NOT RELIABLE at all! Think about it before investing your money

[phelps 6,990]

 Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava vs  Skellefteå AIK

 

Preview

 

THIRD CZECH OPPONENT FOR SKELLEFTEÅ THIS SEASON, FIRST SHL RIVAL FOR VÍTKOVICE

 

It's been a hell of a journey to the 2023/24 Semi-Finals for Skellefteå.

 

After a very solid 5th-place finish in the Regular Season, the Swedes clashed with Czech side Oceláři Třinec in the Round of 16 but fell 4-3 in the First Game.

 

A goal down, nine-time CHL qualifiers Skellefteå turned their fortunes around and moved on to the Quarter-Finals for the fourth time in their CHL history.

 

An extra special Semi-Finals match-up against a familiar domestic rival, Färjestad Karlstad, once again saw them playing catch up heading into the Return Game but another mighty 60-minute performance pushed them into the final four of the season.

 

Resilience. That's been the biggest takeaway from Skellefteå's game this season.

 

This team has been around the block and know what to expect from a CHL game - when a game isn't going their way, they pull together and weather the storm, ready to strike when the opportunity arises.

 

Apart from the usual head-to-head stats, here are a few nuggets: Linus Lindström is Skellefteå’s top scorer in the CHL this season with ten points (5G,5A), while nobody else on the team has more than Pär Lindholm’s eight (3G,5A).

 

Alongside Dylan Sikura, these three are the only players on the roster to be averaging more than a point per game.

 

Most players have a point or more this season, proving that scoring has come from up and down the line-up.

 

There's been a recent shake-up in net over the holidays with David Rautio, Skellefteå’s go-to CHL goalie, being loaned to Luleå Hockey for two weeks which will see him out of action for the First Game.

 

However, there's nothing to worry about as Gustaf Lindvall is back in action and ready to shoulder his share of the goalie duties for the Swedes in the meantime. 

 

Czech side Vítkovice Ridera have been on a roller coaster ride that seems to be stuck in gear this season! 

 

Not many expected Vítkovice in the Quarter-Finals but now that they're in the Final Four, they can really turn around and tell everyone: "I told you so!".

 

After a ninth-place finish in the Regular Season, the Ostrava-based team faced the Lahti Pelicans in the Round of 16.

 

An ice surface issue during the First Game in Finland resulted in a three-goal forfeit win for the Czechs which, combined with a 1-1 Return Game, pushed them onto the Quarter-Finals where they faced the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers.

 

A tense First Game ended 2-1 for the Swiss team meaning Vítkovice headed into the Return Game a goal down.

 

However, a third-minute goal against set the Czechs two goals back but an astonishing comeback saw them smash five into Rapperswil's net to win the series and move on to the SFs for the very first time. 

 

29.41 PP% - that's the number you need to focus on because it hides the key to Vítkovice's unheard-of success (remember, this club had a disastrous start to the new Czech Extraliga season and were bottom of the league standings for many weeks).

 

Vítkovice have been lethal on the man-advantage and equally as good while a man down (successfully killing off over 82% of powerplays against).

 

Also, don't underestimate their home-ice advantage - Vítkovice are unbeaten at home so far this season!

 

Superstar captain Dominik Lakatoš deserves a special mention.

 

With 11 points (6G,5A), two game-winning goals and three powerplay goals, it's clear he's been the engine of this team while goaltending tandem Matěj Machovský & Lukáš Klimeš have both been superb in net.

 

Both goalies have a 90+% save percentage in five and four games respectively and whoever mans the net in the Semi-Finals, Vítkovice will be in capable hands.

 

 

 

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 Genève-Servette vs  Lukko Rauma

 

Preview

 

ONLY ONE PLACE IN THE FINAL AS GENÈVE AND LUKKO CLASH

 

It's been a disastrous year for Finland's representatives on the pan-European stage.

 

It all started when reigning European Club Champions Tappara Tampere finished 18th in the Regular Season Standings, two spots out of the Playoffs.

 

The Lahti Pelicans and Ilves Tampere both dropped out in the Round of 16, leaving Lukko as the only Finnish club as early as the Quarter-Finals. 

 

The team that finished third in the Regular Season this season with five wins and one loss in six games have shouldered the responsibility of representing their nation well, managing to hold off a very strong Dynamo Pardubice side to secure a spot in the Final Four. 

 

Lukko were especially strong in the First Game, scoring six into Pardubice's net in Czechia and that's been a common theme for the Finns who haven't lost a game away from home all season long.

 

Stats-wise, Lukko have scored 33 goals and let in 24 across ten games this season, good for a +9 goal difference.

 

Their PP unit has been clicking at a slightly sub-par 13.51% (though still better than Genève's 11.90%) and their penalty kill unit has been operating at just over 80%, which is respectable.

 

Lukko first-liners Sebastian Repo (4G,5A) and Brayden Burke (5G,3A) lead the offensive charge up front but blue-liner Tarmo Reunanen steals the show with four goals and six assists in nine games and with an average of over 20 minutes of ice time per game, he's been hands down one of the best D-men in the CHL this season - watch out for him!

 

Daniel Lebedeff has been the main man in net, but a star showing from Canadian Samuel Harvey in the QFs Return Game in which he made a huge 39 saves could put his role in doubt.

 

Either way, both netminders have been sturdy for the Finns. 

 

With a place in the Final just 120 minutes of game time away, what do the Finns need to do?

 

Start on the attack, not backed up in their own zone.

 

That's something that has helped Lukko in games this season - when they've come out on the front foot, they've usually had better results.

 

Genève-Servette just keep on rolling on. 

 

After beating DEL champions Red Bull Munich in the Round of 16, the reigning NL champions dispatched another domestic champion - this time SHL champions the Växjö Lakers, knocking them out of the competition with a 6-4 aggregate win. 

 

This isn't the first time they'll face Lukko this season, the two teams clashed back on Game Day 6 of the Regular Season for a game that ended 3-2 for the Finns. 

 

Early mistakes cost Genève the win that night but a big part of their troubles was a near-perfect Daniel Lebedeff who only faltered twice on 41 shots on goal, including making several timely saves to help lead his team to an important +3 points.

 

Lebedeff aside, the Swiss team were on point, dominating Lukko with shots on net and controlling the game from the 15th minute onwards.

 

Taking the Finns on again, Genève just need to sharpen up their finishing, movement in front of the net and run an extra PP drill or two (special unit play has been a weak spot of Genève's otherwise solid stats record this season). 

 

Tanner Richard (2G,10A) leads the team in scoring, and the entire CHL scoring leaderboard for that matter, with a very nice 12 points in ten games played while Finnish D-man Sami Vatanen (2G,8A) has been as helpful up front as he has been on the blue line with a combined 10 points good for a point per game average.

 

Robert Mayer, who has played for the Swiss club in both of their previous CHL appearances in 2014/15 and 2015/16, has been their go-to goalie for games on Europe's biggest club ice hockey stage but with new signing Jussi Olkinuora making an immediate impact in the Quarter-Finals Return Game, it's a toss-up between the two of them for the SFs duties.

 

As usual when breaking down rosters of Europe's very best hockey teams, Genève will be in good hands regardless of who gets the nod. 

 

Genève won their first-ever Swiss championship last season.

 

If they make it to the CHL Final this year, they'll become the first Swiss team to ever make it this far in the competition and that's got to be a huge motivating factor for the club from one of the country's biggest cities - let's see how that turns out!

 

 

 

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Knockout Stage

 

Semifinals, 1st Leg

Tuesday 09.01.2024 - Results

 

18:00  Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava (CZE) - Skellefteå AIK (SWE)  2-4 (2-2, 0-1, 0-1)

20:15  Genève-Servette HC (SUI) - Lukko Rauma (FIN)  2-2 (1-0, 1-2, 0-0)

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Knockout Stage

 

Semifinals, 1st Leg

Tuesday 09.01.2024 - Highlights

 

Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava (CZE) - Skellefteå AIK (SWE)

 

Genève-Servette HC (SUI) - Lukko Rauma (FIN)

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Knockout Stage

 

Semifinals, 2nd Leg

Tuesday 16.01.2024 - Schedule*

 

17:30  Lukko Rauma (FIN) - Genève-Servette HC (SUI)

19:00  Skellefteå AIK (SWE) - Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava (CZE)

 

*All times CET

 

 

Watch live

 

Check here for details of live TV broadcasts:

https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/fans/where-to-watch
 

Be careful! at least so far, Homeofhockey.tv website is NOT RELIABLE at all! Think about it before investing your money

[phelps 6,990]

Knockout Stage

 

Semifinals, 2nd Leg

Tuesday 16.01.2024 - Results

 

17:30  Lukko Rauma (FIN) - Genève-Servette HC (SUI)  2-3 (2-0, 0-2, 0-1); Aggr. Score: 4-5

19:00  Skellefteå AIK (SWE) - Vìtkovice Ridera Ostrava (CZE)  1-2 (1-0, 0-1, 0-1); Aggr. Score: 5-4

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GENÈVE BECOME FIRST SWISS TEAM TO ADVANCE TO CHL FINAL

 

With their 5-4 comeback win, Genève-Servette have become the first Swiss club to compete in the Champions Hockey League Final as they overcame a two-goal deficit to take down Finnish side Lukko Rauma in the Semi-Finals. 

 

Moments after making a huge save off the rush, Jussi Olkinuora was beaten glove-side high by Jakob Stenqvist as Lukko took a 3-2 aggregate lead at the six-minute mark of the first. 

 

Henri Ikonen won the draw back to Stenqvist who snapped the puck through the legs of Genève's defencemen and into the back of the net to draw first blood.

 

The Finns continued to mount pressure on the Swiss with Brayden Burke putting the home team up 2-0 and 4-2 on aggregate with a simple wrister from the top of the slot that beat Olkinuora clean through the five-hole.

 

The Canadian made a brilliant individual effort when he received the puck at center ice, skated in above the tops of the circles and let it go for his sixth of the season.

 

Lukko's powerplay made its debut at 14:56 after Sami Vatanen was called for tripping, but Genève's third-ranked penalty kill successfully staved off the Finns' chance at advancing their lead as the clubs headed down their respective tunnels with the Swiss holding an 11-7 advantage in shots but still down by two.

 

Late in the second, it was the Swiss making their resurgence, registering two of their own within the span of a minute.

 

The first came off a pretty passing play between a pair of Finns as Teemu Hartikainen dished a cross-crease feed to Valtteri Filppula who buried it to bring the goal deficit to within one.

 

The play started with Simon Le Coultre flicking the puck to Hartikainen who held on to it for a moment before sliding it to Filppula for an easy tap-in past Lukko's Christopher Gibson, who made his CHL debut, with just over three minutes left in the second stanza.

 

Vatanen would go on to level the score following Genève's forecheck which resulted in Sakari Manninen gaining possession.

 

Manninen then passed the puck to a wide-open Vatanen who let go a wicked wrister from just inside the near circle.

 

Then, in the final frame, it was the Swiss converting for a third time as some low-to-high play ended with Filppula securing his second marker of the contest as he deflected Vatanen's shot-pass from the point past Gibson to give Genève their first lead of the night.

 

As Lukko continued to search for the equaliser in the later stages of the third, the visitors continued to make things difficult for the hosts with the Swiss keeping high-danger chances to a minimum.

 

Olkinuora stood on his head, making several key saves to maintain the lead.

 

Gibson was eventually pulled in favour of the extra attacker as the Finns piled on the pressure in the dying minutes, but it would be Genève engineering the win and with it a chance to hoist the European Trophy come February.

 

Game Highlights

 

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SKELLEFTEÅ HOLD ON AGAINST PERSISTENT VÍTKOVICE

 

They’ve been close before, but Skellefteå AIK have finally reached the Champions Hockey League Final for the first time after losing the Return Game on home ice 2-1 to Vítkovice Ridera, but winning the Semi-Final 5-4 on aggregate score.

 

Starting the game with a two-goal aggregate lead, Skellefteå really looked in control when they increased it to three less than six minutes in. 

 

Rickard Hugg fed Elias Salomonsson and the big defenceman cut in from the point to the slot and let go a low wrister that beat Matěj Machovský through a crowd.

 

In the last minute of the first period, Matěj Přibyl nearly answered back for Vítkovice when he broke in alone on Linus Söderström but was denied.

 

Vítkovice didn’t quit and persistence paid off in the 33rd minute on the powerplay, where the Czech team has been dominant all season in the CHL. 

 

Marcel Barinka’s shot from the right wing to the far side handcuffed Söderström, and the puck found space between the goalie’s body and blocker and dribbled across the line.

 

Less than two minutes later, Skellefteå thought they’d restored their three-goal advantage – even raised their sticks to celebrate – but Machovský made a marvellous pad save from point-blank range, stopping the puck on the goal line.

 

Early in the third period, Vítkovice took the lead in the game and cut the aggregate deficit to one when Valentin Claireaux’s shot from a sharp angle was blockered away by Söderström, but the rebound went right to Marek Kalus who knocked the puck out of mid-air and into the net.

 

Vítkovice pressed for the equaliser but with their lead down to one, Skellefteå tightened up defensively and didn’t allow many quality chances.

 

Vítkovice called their timeout with 1:35 to play, but were then pinned in their own zone for almost a minute, not giving Machovský a chance to get to the bench until the last 40 seconds.

 

But Vítkovice didn’t even manage a shot on goal the rest of the way, with their lone attempt – a one-timer from Kalus – blocked.

 

The puck was then cleared and the remaining seconds ticked off.

 

Game Highlights