Teams and players
This season, once again, 24 teams from 10 different European leagues will compete for the title. This will be the third season of the CHL’s “groupless” format, meaning each team will play six games against six different opponents, which were determined at the regular season draw during the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm.
- Switzerland: ZSC Lions Zurich (CHL & national champions), Lausanne HC (regular season winner), SC Bern (regular season 3rd place), EV Zug (regular season 4th place).
- Austria/ICE Hockey League: Red Bull Salzburg (national champion), KAC Klagenfurt (regular season winner), HC Bolzano (Italy, regular season 3rd place).
- Czechia: Kometa Brno (national champions), Sparta Prague (regular season winner), Mountfield Hradec Kralove (regular season 2nd place).
- Finland: KalPa Kuopio (national champion), Lukko Rauma (regular season winner), Ilves Tampere (regular season 2nd place).
- Germany: Eisbaren Berlin (national champion), ERC Ingolstadt (regular season winner), Pinguins Bremerhaven (regular season 3rd place).
- Sweden: Lulea Hockey (national champion), Brynas Gavle (regular season winner), Frolunda Gothenburg (regular season 3rd place).
- Challenger leagues (national champions only): Odense Bulldogs (Denmark), Grenoble (France), Storhamar Hamar (Norway), GKS Tychy (Poland), Belfast Giants (EIHL).
Among the more interesting match-ups of the regular season, Sparta Prague will host Frolunda Gothenburg in a rematch of the 2016-17 CHL final on 6 September. That 4-3 overtime win is one of four titles for Frolunda, which was by far the most successful team of the CHL’s first decade.
“The one I remember most is the final we won at home against Red Bull Munich (in 2019),” recalled Frolunda captain Max Friberg, who is about to play in his sixth CHL season. “On the road, too, our second CHL title, we had some great comebacks, but the final at home was for sure the best one.”
Frolunda, Zurich and EV Zug will all be participating in their ninth CHL seasons, one behind Red Bull Salzburg, which is representing Austria a record 10th time. At the other end of the spectrum, the Danish champion Odense Bulldogs are set to make their CHL debut.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our fans and the club in general to experience some of the best hockey in Europe,” said Bulldogs head coach Jason O’Leary. “I think it’s very exciting for everyone and we’re looking forward to it.”
As is always the case, the CHL will feature some of the biggest names in European hockey that should be familiar to fans around the world.
Zurich’s roster includes two former CHL MVPs in Sven Andrighetto from last season and Czech goaltender Simon Hrubec from 2017/18. The team’s roster also includes Denis Malgin, Yanick Weber and Austrian prospect Vinzenz Rohrer. Elsewhere in Switzerland, EV Zug boasts some veteran talent in goaltender Leonardo Genoni, defenceman Raphael Diaz and forwards Tomas Tatar and Dominik Kubalik. And Lausanne HC has Erik Brannstrom, Austin Czarnik and Dominik Kahun.
In Sweden, Brynas’ roster features some pretty big star power in veteran forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Jacob Silfverberg, defenceman Robert Hagg and the goaltending duo of American Collin Delia and Italian Damian Clara.
In Finland, Ilves Tampere’s roster includes veteran Swede Carl Klingberg and young Czech prospect Ondrej Kos. While Lukko Rauma features newly acquired local boy Antti Raanta in goal.
Other notable names on other CHL teams include brothers Thomas and Raffl with Red Bull Salzburg and veteran Slovenes Ziga Jeglic, Jan Urbas and Miha Verlic in Bremerhaven.