After Thursday's busy slate of 12 games, the remaining four groups get underway on Friday. See four teams make their CHL debuts and four other teams start on their road to improve on last year's finish.

Staff Writers

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IFK Helsinki vs. SC Bern

Group A; Barona Areena, 17:30

IFK Helsinki go into this year's Champions League knowing that they could go far, having reached the quarter-finals last season and going out to an eventual finalist in Frolunda. However, facing off against them today is an SC Bern club desperate to eradicate the memories of finishing last in their group last year, winning only one game and taking an OT win from six ganes. Co-incidentally, those five points that Bern registered last year came against a team from the Liiga. “We have good memories of Finland, as we played in Tampere last year and won,” says head coach Guy Boucher, “but that was last year. It doesn't mean anything now, especially as almost half of our team is new.”

“We're looking forward to it, seeing the different styles, it'll be fun,” says HIFK defencemen Matt Generous. “I've never played a Swiss team before, but they'll be strong skaters and I know some of their players too, so they'll be good.”

HK Nitra vs. Skelleftea AIK

Group D; Nitra Arena, 18:30

HK Nitra couldn't have asked for a much harder start to life in the Champions Hockey League, going up against one of the top clubs in Europe and one of last year's semi-finalists. The Swedish club will face a Slovak team with a couple of question marks over key players, but coach Anotnín Stavjana thinks his team will be up for the challenge. “We have a lot of older guys who have already experienced games like this. I believe that the atmosphere will get our players into the game and boost them positively. I also believe we won’t be nervous at home, but we’ll see. It’s something new for every one of us,” he said. "There is still a question if Lukas Novak will play against the Swedes. The CHL is an important competition for us, but our domestic league is as well. Therefore if he’s not 100 percent fit, it would be a mistake to play him.”

Skelleftea almost went all the way last year in the CHL, coming up short in the semi-final against local rivals Lulea, but there's a feeling in their camp this year that they could go on to reach the final, if not win the trophy. “I think that we are a better team than last year, we have signed some really good players that really has boosted our roster,” says alternate captain Par Lindholm. “But we haven't played any competitive hockey thus far this year, so it's really too early to tell. But I think we're better this year.”

Neman Grodno vs. Adler Mannheim

Group I; Ledovy Dvorets Sporta, 18:00

It'll be a proud moment tonight in Grodno as the Continental Cup winners take to the ice to make their CHL debuts against the DEL champions. Adler Mannheim, though, like each DEL club in the competition last season, failed to reach the knock-out stage a year ago and will go out with something to prove this season again a somewhat unknown quantity in the Belarusian side. “Adler Mannheim are a strong club, with 10 players in their national team,” says Grodno head coach Milos Holan. “We want to show what we can do, and we'll try to do a good job. It's clear that Mannheim and Vitkovice will be aiming to make the next round for sure.”

Artyom Mentyuk believes that his team's recent exit from the Belarus Cup could help them in the CHL. “I hope that we can pay back our fans. Milos is a different coach – he's on our wavelength but sometimes he has to yell at us. Sometimes this sort of shake up is good for a team,” he said.

Grenoble vs. HC Litvinov

Group F; Patinoire Pole Sud, 19:30

Two CHL newbies go head-to-head in southeastern France as the Extraliga runners-up face the French regular-season winners. No French team has picked up a point in the CHL yet, but Litvinov coach Ondrej Weissman isn't taking his opposition lightly. “We have to approach this in a same way we approach our league games,” he says. “We’ll try to play our best players, so we can get some good results. Grenoble is a bit of an unknown team for us, but the French played great at the recent World Championships. They will probably have some Canadians and it will be a tough team to compete with.”