“At this level you always want to play the best and play against individuals that have had a really great career. To play against those guys, and possibly beat them or do well against them, is definitely a milestone. You don’t play hockey just because it’s a career, but you want to play against the best, and you also want to try to be the best as well. So, I think that’s the biggest thing with the CHL, it’s the best in Europe and you definitely see that with the top teams,” said Kissel.

Norwegian teams are always prepared to spring a surprise and this was most certainly the case back in the CHL’s debut season in 2014/15. Stavanger, through Josh Soares, scored the first goal in the league’s history, and the Norwegian club pulled off a double victory over Swiss giants SC Bern, and also defeated Finnish powerhouse Tappara Tampere and Czech stalwart Oceláři Třinec. The Oilers just missed out on a place in the Playoffs by virtue of losing the tiebreak to Tappara after the two teams were tied on points.

Looking back on that debut season, Kissel stated that the Oilers have always sought to bring their best on every CHL gameday.

“You didn’t know what to expect with the first year or couple of years. To us, it was exciting to play those top teams, especially in the beginning of the year after the long summer off. Everyone’s usually eager to start the season and to start like that was definitely fun. We put a lot of focus on it, and I think if you have the motivation going into those games … you can take advantage and do well,” the American forward remarked.

After two seasons away, the Oilers have returned to Europe’s premier ice hockey competition, by virtue of topping the Norwegian domestic league as the season was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Swedish debutant Rögle Ängelholm await the Oilers in the Round of 32, and Kissel stated that any Swedish team makes for a tough opponent.

Read our full preview of Stavanger's Round of 32 series against Rögle Ängelholm

“Any Swedish team, if you draw a Swedish team or a Finnish team or other Scandinavia-area teams, they’re always tough … Those teams are up there in the Final and have won the title. All those teams in that league are very good, whether it's Rögle or other teams. It will be exciting,” the forward said.

Kissel scored an overtime winner against Rögle in a pre-season game all the way back in 2013, and hinted that the experience that Norwegian teams have against their Swedish foes may prove an advantage.

“I believe we played them in the pre-season once when they were still in the Allsvenskan … We’ll prepare just like any other top Swedish team. I believe Norway is pretty familiar with the Swedish teams over the years, we play some pre-season games against those games. It will be a hard matchup for sure, but we’ll be excited for it,” he commented.

Find out the full 2020/21 CHL Draw and Round of 32 Schedule here!

Before becoming a star for the Oilers, Kissel had a very accomplished collegiate career in North America with Notre Dame and two solid seasons in the East Coast Hockey League. However, in 2012, he made the decision to cross the Atlantic and try his luck in Norway.

“After I turned professional after college, it was always an inspiration to go travel Europe. I’d never been to Europe. I heard of some guys that had played over there and enjoyed certain spots and I tried my best in the AHL and ECHL to see if I could move up, but I had the opportunity from an ex-teammate of mine at Notre Dame, he played in Stavanger the year I came over here and he recommended it. He was kind of the middleman talking to [Oilers General Manager and Sports Director] Pål Higson to get me over here,” Kissel remarked.

In his first season in Scandinavia, the Crestwood, Illinois native racked up 50 regular-season points and a further 18 points in the playoffs as Stavanger stormed to the Norwegian title. According to Kissel, it was easy to stay with a winning team, despite the allure of other offers.

“It’s always easier to stay with a team that wins a championship. Obviously, being over in Europe you want to go to other places, and I was looking at other spots as well, but I thought maybe just another good year in Stavanger would lead to other opportunities in the future so I decided to come back. It was kind of an easy decision to tell you the truth because it is such a great place here,” he stated.

Kissel would stay with Stavanger for another four seasons, winning four more Norwegian titles. This historic run was capped off with the US-born forward winning the playoff MVP title after a remarkable 25 points in 14 games, alongside linemate Mark Van Guilder.

“That particular year I had a good line playing with Mark Van Guilder and [former NHL forward Eric] Nystrom for the playoffs, so we definitely hit a hot streak there and had some confidence definitely throughout that playoffs, which was different from any other year I played. We went into the game knowing that we’re going to do well which is nice to have, so that was a special year,” Kissel stated.

The now-33-year-old forward got to leave Stavanger at the very top, as he departed for a chance to play in the Swiss National League B with EHC Visp after his historic playoff campaign. In two seasons with Switzerland, Kissel scored 106 points in 100 games, although the team failed to pick up any silverware.

“It was definitely different from being in Stavanger for the past five years of winning championships. It’s a great place. It’s right there in the Alps in southern Switzerland, so you can’t beat the location. We brought our families over there as well, they enjoyed it, so it was a good time. Unfortunately, we didn’t do too well. I think we made the playoffs every year, but that was about it,” Kissel remarked.

After his sojourn in the Alps, Kissel made the decision to return to the Oilers at the start of the 2019/20 season. In the two years he was away, Stavanger went through a transition period and other teams in Norway claimed the domestic title as Storhamar Hamar lifted the trophy in 2018 and Frisk Asker won the championship one year later.

As a result, Kissel said that there was huge pressure on the Oilers going into this past season.

“They wanted to get that taste back. I don’t know if it was comfortability or becoming used to winning, but pressure was definitely put on at the beginning of the year, which is a given. It’s an organization that expects to be good, they treat their players very well. It’s a good situation here, so I’m definitely on board with that,” he said.

In his time away, Kissel also noted that the quality of the Norwegian league continues to increase, buoyed by the improvements made by home-grown players.

“The league has got better yearly ever since my first year as well. I think its definitely increased skill-wise I would say. Norwegians have always been very fit, very strong and they’re hard workers,” he remarked.

In his return season, Kissel picked up right where he left off. The US-born forward was once again a consistent producer, helping Stavanger to a 23-point lead over second-place Storhamar, having dropped only four games in regulation all season.

As with many leagues across the continent, the outbreak of COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the Norwegian domestic hockey season. Kissel, who told us that he has recently bought a house in Norway, said that he was managing to get the bulk of his summer training completed during lockdown, although all workouts have remained strictly off-ice.

“I’m pretty sure it has affected everybody with their summer training because you can’t use the locker rooms and weight rooms have been closed for quite a while. So, it’s mostly just been home workouts, which is mainly running, biking, yoga techniques or bodyweight stuff,” the forward remarked, adding that he was looking forward to getting back on the ice and start training with teammates when the epidemiological situation permits.

Dan Kissel has truly become a star in Stavanger. With a remarkable 416 points in 333 career games in the Norweigan league, the Illinois native has made his mark not only in Scandinavia, but also in Europe during the Oilers’ previous CHL adventures.

All roads lead to October, as Stavanger will look to give Rögle an unfriendly welcome to the CHL and spring a surprise during the latter’s debut campaign in Europe’s elite ice hockey competition. You can bet that Kissel will be at the centre of the action come game time.