Ahead of the return of the CHL, we check in to the domestic leagues.

by Luke Fisher

With the CHL Round of 32's first leg matches scheduled to take place tomorrow, the previous weekend saw each team in their last domestic action. How are teams sitting in their own leagues? We find out.

Finland qualified the most teams to the next round, so we start in the Liiga, where Tappara lead the way – closely followed by TPS, who are unbeaten in their last five games. No other CHL teams feature in the top six, although KalPa and IFK Helsinki are involved in a five-way tie for fourth with JYP a further three points back. SaiPa and Karpat then follow, with Lukko propping up the table – both Lukko and SaiPa having only one win in their last five as well.

Next door in Sweden, Vaxjo in fourth are the highest placed CHL team in joint-third with Frolunda as well. The Lakers are unbeaten in three going into the CHL games, while the Gothenburg club has failed to win either of its last two games. Completing the top six are HV71, with Skelleftea just a place lower. Farjestad, Djurgarden, and Linkoping occupy places 10 to 12, although the latter is winless in four.

Hopping over to Belarus, Yunost remain tied for top spot of the Extraliga with seven wins from as many games and are unbeaten so far. Moving west, Kosice and Nitra are tied at the top of Slovakia's Extraliga, both with 24 points from 10 games, while over the border in Austria, Red Bull Salzburg have sunk down to fourth in the EBEL after only one point from their two weekend contests.

The Czech Extraliga only sees one CHL team in the top six, that being Sparta Prague, who have lost three of their last five games. Litvinov are one place behind, followed by Liberec. Vitkovice complete the league's top 10, while Pilsen have just two wins in five and sit only two places above last. In the DEL, the three remaining CHL teams lead the way with Red Bull Munich topping the table with 13 points in six games. Eisbaren Berlin are a point behind and Wolfsburg one further back.

Finally, the NLA in Switzerland is now led by the ZSC Lions, who have two straight wins heading into the CHL Round of 32 and 21 points from 11 games. Zug, Bern, and Lugano all feature in the top eight in fourth, seven, and eighth, respectively – although the latter have lost three on the spin. With three wins out of five, Davos are actually tied in points with Lugano but sit just a place below, while Fribourg have lost their last six games – two of them in overtime.