We spoke to representatives of our four NL participants from Switzerland following the CHL Draw in Stockholm, Sweden, to find out what their goals were for the upcoming season, what they thought about their six Regular Season opponents and who they were most looking forward to playing.
First to speak was Pascal Signer, COO of SC Bern, who noted that the club are looking to have a "good start" to the season and that they will definitely have "tough games", but are "focused on making the Playoffs."
"We are looking forward to competing on a high level in Europe, it's going to be a challenge for us" he said when asked about his team's Draw, adding that he has no specific favourite among Bern's six opponents for the 2025/26 Regular Season.
"We're looking forward to all the games and can't wait to enjoy the new CHL season as a team and with our fans," he ended.
Lausanne HC's Frédéric Lemay highlighted that his team's main goal for the upcoming season of pan-European club ice hockey was to "make the Playoffs", adding, "we made the Round of 16 last year, so we want to make it back there and even go a step further."
"Six teams from six different countries means we'll face the best of the best!"Frédéric Lemay, Lausanne HC
Who stands out among Lausanne's six opponents? "We're going to Gothenburg to face Frölunda Gothenburg which will be really nice and the game against Grenoble will also be special for our fans," responded Lemay.
Traditional participants EV Zug are returning to the Champions Hockey League after a few seasons out and their Head Coach, Michael Liniger, is really excited: "It's a nice challenge for us and we're looking forward to playing in the CHL again."
Their goal for the upcoming season? "We want to do the best we can." With trips to Sweden, Finland and France and three equally exciting home games lined up on their big return, Liniger thinks that all opponents are special: "I'm looking forward to the road trips, but all of the opponents are good. It's special to play all these opponents outside of Switzerland."
Last up, reigning CHL Champions ZSC Lions Zurich who are very excited for the new season, with General Manager Sven Leuenberger saying that their goal for 2025/26 is very simple: "As the reigning Champions, our goal can only be to repeat our success!"
The 2025 European Club Champions and National League champions highlighted Brynäs IF and Sparta Prague as two teams they are especially excited to face: "We have four opponents from the founding leagues, so these will be really strong. We're looking forward to the games!"
Be sure to return to our website for more reactions to the 2025/26 CHL Draw and other news! Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X to keep up to date on all the latest CHL action.