Following the Group Stage Draw for the 2022/23 season of the Champions Hockey League, we spoke to representatives of the teams drawn into Group H to find out their thoughts about their opponents.

Group H features Czech Extraliga champions Oceláři Třinec, six-time CHL participants Skellefteå AIK from the SHL, Swiss side HC Davos and the Belfast Giants, all the way from Northern Ireland. 

Club Representative Patrik Lindström of Skellefteå AIK didn’t mince words when asked what his club’s goal was for the upcoming season: “To play the last game and win.”

For Jan Alston, Sports Director of HC Davos, his goal has arguably been achieved already, “We want to go as far as possible. For us it’s great exposure for our brand and for our club and that’s why we’re fully excited.”

Meanwhile, the Belfast Giants haven’t skated in the CHL since the 2019/20 season where they were ousted in the Group Stage.

Head Coach Adam Keefe is looking for better results this time around and that, “starts right now with recruitment. We want to build a strong competitive team that can skate with these teams, and we know from our last experience in the CHL skating’s going to be really important and that will be a focus.”

“Of course we want to win as many games as we can,” said Vladimír Országh, Assistant Coach of Oceláři Třinec before going on to say, “and we’ll do everything we can to make it as far as possible.”

Being in the CHL is an honour for any club and Alston sees the tournament as not just exposure but experience for his club: “It’s exciting. We have two big clubs with Skellefteå and Třinec and we’ve spoken with people from Belfast and we can’t wait to live the experience over there.”

“We do feel that we belong in the Champions Hockey League and are looking forward to it,” said Keefe.

Watch their full reactions below