Past CHL Champions Luleå failed to start their 2025/26 campaign with a win, having to make-do with just a single point from an OT loss to Zug, and will be looking to bounce back as quickly as possible. On the flip side you have Swiss giants Bern who won on Game Day 1 - their big return to the Champions Hockey League - and will look to keep the ball rolling on the road in Sweden. Only one can win...
- Luleå lost, Bern won on GD1
- Bern earned a shutout in their outing against Grenoble
- Luleå beat Bern twice in 2019/20 CHL Round of 16
After scoring the equaliser in the third, Luleå Hockey seemed to have caught some steam, but a stingy EV Zug defence, capped off by the excellent play of Leonardo Genoni, left a sour taste in the Swedes' mouths as they failed to take home the victory on home ice.
The Swedes played an extremely tight game. They were able to match Zug's intensity at times - even outshooting them - and outpaced them for some stretches. Yet, their lack of engineering sustained offensize zone time ultimately stonewalled them from producing any real threat to the more structured play of the Swiss.
They've managed to beat Bern twice in the past: 3-0 in the PostFinance Arena before storming to a 4-2 win at home. If they are to replicate one of those nights, they'll need to dig deep and find their strength as Bern are a top contender in every competition they play in.
“Luleå's players are tough, well-coached and backed by strong support. They play with an incredibly tight defence and with solid structure. Luleå bring high intensity, especially when it comes to skating and forechecking, and they are a team that skate a lot, applying constant pressure. It’s going to be an intense game!Jussi Tapola, SC Bern Head Coach
On the other side of the ice are SC Bern, who orchestrated a 2-0 shutout over Grenoble to open their 2025/26 Champions Hockey League campaign.
The first stanza came and went for both the Swiss and the French as neither were able to find the net through the opening 20 minutes. But then in the second, Bern took control, lighting the lamp twice in the span of 18 seconds and then putting on a defensive clinic for the rest of the contest.
Bern seem to have their defence in check, but building more pressure in the offensive zone would do wonders for a team that only scored twice on 29 shots. Luleå will be a much tougher challenge, so converting on offensive opportunities will be key.
"We will face some tough opponents in the Champions Hockey League Regular Season. We know that the Swiss teams are always good, it will be fun to test ourselves against international competition."Thomas Berglund, Luleå Hockey Head Coach
Luleå would do well to slow the game down when the puck is on their stick, rather than trying to execute risky passes, be smarter with the puck and move it North/South so as to create more openings, while Bern will need to keep a tight ship and top focus against the 2025 SHL champions and veterans of five CHL seasons, in two of which they made it all the way to the Final.