For the fifth time in their history, Eisbären Berlin will compete in the Champions Hoceky League. In their season opener scheduled for November the team from the German capital will face Swedish side Luleå Hockey. One of the players who will be there is Leo Pföderl, who has already experienced what it is to play in the CHL.
Back in 2018/19, he featured in six CHL games as a player of the THOMAS SABO Ice Tigers. The team naarowly missed out on the playoffs that year, but Pföderl gained valuable experience. "We were all very happy to be able to compete in the CHL. Unfortunately, we let our our good starting position slip away on the final gameday," said Pföderl looking back on his first season of CHL hockey. "This time in Berlin we were just as happy about our qualification. Playing on the international level is always very interesting."
The NHL playoffs have already shown what ice hockey games without spectators look like. Pföderl can't really picture playing in front of empty stands neither in the CHL nor in the DEL. "To be honest, I'm not a fan of ghost matches. Especially in Berlin we will miss our loyal fans. I hope that in the end playing in front of spectators will be possible," he said.
The Mercedes-Benz-Arena in Berlin is worth a trip in any case: "If fans are allowed to attend, then I would recommend attending an Eisbären game. The arena and the fans are amazing and if the arena is filled with 17 000 people, the atmosphere is amazing. You don't have to say much more. Those are the key ingredients for a perfect ice hockey evening," said the 27-year-old German.
"Playing on the international level is always very interesting"Leonhard Pföderl, Eisbären Berlin forward
Although the start of the CHL and DEL seasons are still several weeks away, the Polar Bears' pre-season is running at full speed. "I'm currently very happy that I can finally be back in Berlin and that I am able to train with the boys again. I'm really fired up for the return of ice hockey. Of course it isn't great to be hanging in the air and not knowing exactly how things will play out. We have an excellent coaching staff here. They are making sure we are prepared the best possible way at the right time."
There weren't too many changes to his summer schedule for Pföderl though. "I spent the summer with my family in Gaißach as usual. In the beginning, it was a little shock for us when we heard that the playoffs had been cancelled. This was quite a strange experience. But then we accepted it. After a short time, I then started my individiual summer training. You have to manage everything a bit better this year and you shouldn't overdo anything. But this is part of how it is now. This isn't a problem for us", says Pföderl in regard to the schedule before the start of the upcoming season.
The last time Berlin participated in the CHL was back in the 2018/19 season, as the Eisbären ended their season early missing out on the playoffs. The team from the German capital ended the Group Stage in third place, closely behind Czech side Kometa Brno. This year, Pföderl wants to compete with his team again. "Above all we are happy to have qualified again. We want to get as far as possible and will take it step by step," finishes Pföderl giving a forecast on the new season which is currently scheduled to start on 17 November 2020