The 2021/22 season of the Champions Hockey League came to a spectacular end at the beginning of March as Sweden's Rögle Ängelholm beat Tappara Tampere of Finland to clinch the European Trophy in their debut CHL season.
The seventh season of the pan-European competition offered plenty of excitement and drama but also many noteworthy occasions that caught us all by surprise – here is the first part of our Four biggest surprises of the 2021/22 season!
Be sure to return for Part 2 later!
CHL Champions in debut season
Where else to start than with Rögle Ängelholm who became CHL Champions in their debut season on Europe’s biggest stage.
The Swedes qualified for the Playoffs from top spot in Group D, beating experienced sides EV Zug and Red Bull Munich over the course of the six Group Stage games.
They then went on a spectacular run to the Final, losing only a single game in the Quarter-Finals, and ultimately lifted the European Trophy as 2021/22 CHL Champions.
Rögle ended 2021/22 having lost only two games, having scored 46 goals and with a goal difference of +18, the highest in the league.
A stand out feature of their gameplay were powerplays – the SHL side scored on 44.19% of them, with their winning goal of the Final also coming during a man advantage.
But it isn’t just the fact that they lifted the European Trophy on their debut season that caught many off guard, Rögle’s composure, determination and focus on winning from the very start didn’t go unnoticed and surprised many unfamiliar with the Swedish club.
But there’s a good reason for their confidence – the Swedes have finished third, second and first in the last three SHL regular seasons, making the playoffs finals in 2020/21 and are currently battling Färjestad Karlstad in the 2021/22 SHL playoffs semi-finals.
After lifting the European Trophy, their first piece of major silverware, are Rögle on track to win their first-ever SHL title, a title they came so close to earning during last year’s SHL playoffs finals?
Rouen Dragons – first French team to reach Quarter-Finals
It was a fairy-tale season for underdogs the Rouen Dragons from France.
Rouen were one of the stand-out performers of the 2021/22 season. Despite dropping out of the Quarter-Finals to Tappara, the 2020/21 Ligue Magnus champions became the first-ever French team to make it this far in the CHL.
Their third season on Europe’s biggest stage didn’t get off to the best of starts, with the Dragons losing their opening two games of the season, but they bounced back, winning three of their next four to qualify for the knockout stage thanks to an all-or-nothing Game Day 6 battle against Rungsted Seier Capital for Group G’s final Playoffs spot.
Six goals across two legs against Red Bull Salzburg, four of them with Rolands Vigners to thank, and some top class goaltending from Matija Pintarič sealed them their first ever venture into the Quarter-Finals.
There, against all expectations, Rouen came back from 2-0 down to hold Tappara 3-3, setting up for a thrilling Return Game in France.
Rouen went on to lose this game 4-0, but their effort and their home crowd’s support throughout the entire CHL season left a lasting impression on everyone both on and off the ice.
Be sure to return for Part 2 later!