Erste Liga rivals to meet in Romania
In Group B, Romania’s ACS Gyergyoi is the host. It’s the home team’s first ever Continental Cup campaign, and it will be entertaining Kremenchuk (UKR), Budapest JAHC (HUN) and Crvena Zvezda (SRB).
Gyergyoi features two of the players who helped Hungary to survival in the elite pool at last year’s World Championship. Peter Vincze had 3 (2+1) points in six games, while fellow forward Gergo Ambrus contributed one goal. Four of last year’s Romanian champions also played on their national team in Division IA but failed to win a game and suffered relegation. In response, Gyergyoi’s Finnish head coach Markus Juurikkala was appointed to Team Romania in a bid for a swift return.
Gyergyoi’s Saturday night showdown with Budapest Jegkorong Academy will be a battle between familiar foes. Both teams play in Hungary’s cross-border Erste Liga and they met on the opening day of the 2025/26 season with the Romanian club powering to a 6-1 victory. Budapest’s successful Hungarian Championship team last season featured three men who went on to represent the Magyars in Herning at the World Championship. Of that trio, two-way defender Bence Szabo, who had 34 points in 33 Erste Liga games, remains.
Crvena Zvezda was the only team in this group to enter last season’s competition and, like Narva, it came third in its first-round group. The Belgrade club got a convincing 6-1 win over group host Irbis-Skate Sofia of Bulgaria, but lost to Bulldogs Liege (BEL) and KHL Sisak (CRO). Last season the team provided 12 players on Serbia’s silver medal roster in Division IIA.
Kremenchuk is preparing for a third Continental Cup campaign, having previously competed in 2015/16 and 2022/23. The Ukrainians would have played in 2020/21 but the tournament was cancelled due to Covid. The most notable players on the roster are experienced international forward Vitalii Lialka, who helped Team Ukraine to bronze in Division IA last season, and goalie Eduard Zakharenko, who has been part of five Division I World Championship rosters for his country.