We've asked representatives from the clubs a few questions relating to their club competing in the CHL in 2014/15. We've arranged the answers into 11 articles, one for each group. It's now time for Group F, which features EBEL champion HC Bolzano, as well as Linköping , HC Pardubice and TPS Turku.
Staff Writers
What do you think of the group you've been drawn into, and which team do you think will be the most difficult?
Manuel Waldmann (HC Bolzano): "It is a little difficult for us. Some of our opponents are very far, but it's good for us that when we play at Linkoping and Turku, they're on the same weekend."
Mike Helber (CEO, Linköping HC): "We are very excited to play against a team from Italy, we've never done that before. We know TPS Turkku very well as we played them many times and we've also played against Pardubice, so we are very comfortable with certain teams, but we are also excited to play other teams. In general, we are very happy with the draw. We know it's gonna be a tough group -- Pardubice is a great team, TPS is a great team, we know a little about Bolzano but they are champions from their league last year, so they are obviously a good team too."
Ondřej Šebek (general manager, HC Pardubice): "We have a good draw. We have big clubs in our group and we'll be playing against quality teams. Bolzano is the EBEL champion and all the Scandinavian teams are very good. We're looking forward to it."
Niklas Österlund (CEO, TPS Turku): We have a interesting group. It will be Linköping because Finland vs. Sweden has always been a big rivalry and offered interesting games."
What does competing in the Champions Hockey League mean to your club?
Helber (LHC): "It's certainly a process to build something up. We have been in the European Trophy and Nordic Cup, but this is also a great chance for our partners who do their business in other countries to go with us as well. So our partners can be part of it. We are playing against new teams, which should really help us get better and promote the sport of hockey around Europe, which feels good."
Šebek (PCE): "I'm happy that we are one of the 26 founding clubs. We can't compare the CHL with our Extraliga or the European trophy. The CHL is not a preliminary round before the season. It's a prestigious competition that I believe will attract a lot of our fans, and I hope they come out and fill the arena."
Öterlund (TPS): "It is great to play in the CHL. TPS Turku is one of the founding clubs. It took quite a long time to get here and I am happy that the draw was excellent and it is a great start for the whole competition. We are really looking forward to start playing the games.
How far do you expect your team to advance in the competition?
Waldmann (HCB): "It's the first season for us and we're not the richest club, but we still want to achieve a good result."
Helber (LHC): "Our goal is to be the number one team in the group, then go as far as possible in the playoffs. We want to give ourselves a good chance at the end of it to be in a situation when we are trying to win the thing, but we also know that there are some very, very good teams out there."
Šebek (PCE): "From our experience in the European trophy, we know we are a competitive team which can play against Swedish and Finnish teams. Each team in our group wants go to the playoffs, and so do we."
Öterlund (TPS): "We absolutely have to make it among the best 16 teams; we have to be there."
Click here to compare basic information about these four clubs.