Not many players get the chance to compete for the top prize in the Champions Hockey League, granting the title of European Club Champions to its beholders. Few lift the trophy, and even fewer get another attempt to play for the title on Europe's biggest club ice hockey stage.
But Luleå Hockey's experienced goaltender Joel Lassinantti is heading into his third CHL Final in just a few days' time, with Luleå facing the opportunity to add a second CHL title to their name and regain glory after a tough loss in CHL Final 2023.
"This year's Final is going to be our first away from home!"Joel Lassinantti, Luleå Hockey
"Experiencing a CHL Final is always a great thing, this will now be my third," acknowledged the goaltender, "11 years back I was in my first real season with the top team in Luleå and immediately made the Final - a great start to my senior career!"
After becoming CHL Champion in the very first CHL season in 2014/15, beating their 2025/26 opponents Frölunda Gothenburg to the honour back then, Lassinantti and Luleå got a re-do in 2022/23 when they faced Liiga mega club Tappara Tampere.
Luleå held their own in the game, but early Tappara goals were tough to overcome, despite the amazing home crowd pushing them on, ultimately ending the game with a 3-2 loss.
"The Final three years ago didn't go our way, but a packed Coop Norrbotten Arena was really cool!" he noted, adding, "this year's Final is actually going to be our first away from home!"
Could playing on the road be a decisive factor? Lassinantti doesn't think so: "Of course, playing at home and away is different, but there will for sure be a lot of Luleå supporters in the crowd bringing the energy."
"Frölunda are the team to beat at the minute."Joel Lassinantti, Luleå Hockey
A very interesting game was played in the SHL a few weeks ago in which Luleå and Frölunda faced each other directly. Luleå won the game 7-3. Is this a mental boost for the Swedes?
"I don't know really," said Lassinantti, "Frölunda are the team to beat at the minute, but we have played some good games against them all season. As always against Frölunda, it's going to be a tight game."
Luleå headed into the 2025/26 CHL season as Swedish champions, but had a bumpy ride through the Regular Season, experiencing the new CHL format (in place since 2023) for the very first time. Lassinantti found that really exciting.
"It was a totally new experience. It was really fun facing more opponents and visiting different countries, especially at the start of the season; it was great," said the 33-year-old.
In their sixth season among Europe's very best ice hockey teams, Luleå finished 9th in the 24-place Regular Season Standings with a 3-3 record. All opponents had their highlights, but Pinguins Bremerhaven, who completely shut out the Swedes, got a special mention.
"When we made the CHL Quarter-Finals, we knew we were in a good place."Joel Lassinantti, Luleå Hockey
"We headed into the game with a bit of a cloudy mindset due to a string of bad results domestically," revealed Lassinantti, "and they were a tough team to face. Heavy on the puck, great control from start to finish, it was a real struggle."
In the Playoffs, Luleå really upped their game, displaying just why they became SHL champions the season prior. After beating reigning Czech Extraliga champions Kometa Brno in the Round of 16, all was set for Luleå's journey to stop in the Quarter-Finals where unbeaten Regular Season Winners Ilves Tampere awaited - a team that most thought would go all the way in the 2025/26 CHL season. But two spectacular performances from Luleå saw them make the Semi-Finals in top form.
"Already when we made the CHL Quarter-Finals, we knew we were in a good place," said Lassinantti, "Ilves are a top team, one of the best, and we managed to play within our system against them and beat them away and at home. It became a turning point for our entire season."
There was a lot of switching in net for Lassinantti this CHL season, with the Luleå-born player having to make way mainly for teammate Matteus Ward. However, alongside others, Lassinantti did get the nod for two crucial games of the season: both legs of their Semi-Finals clash against hungry Swiss side EV Zug, a team that beat them back on Game Day 1 of the season. How was that?
"I think Zug are one of the top teams in Europe, everything is perfect: their facilities, their players, their motivation," he started, "but we played two really good games against them, especially on the road to create a lead to control back home."
Now the big Final, just days away: "We're going to go down south and do our best to make it happen! We have the chance to win the title and are excited for a packed Scandinavium," ended an enthusiastic Lassinantti.
Frölunda Gothenburg and Luleå Hockey will face each other in the ultimate one-game CHL Final in Gothenburg, Sweden on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, at 19:00 CET.