Unia Oświęcim Assistant Coach Krzysztof Majkowski: “We will begin our season in the Champions Hockey League with an away game against the Lynxes. They finished second in the regular season of the Finnish Liiga but were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. There’s no denying that this will be a special game for our five Finnish players, especially for Erik Ahopelto, who began his proper hockey career at Ilves. We expect the team from Tampere to play well tactically, which is a hallmark of the teams from that region.”

ZSC Lions Zurich General Manager Sven Leuenberger: “A top team from Finland with strong skaters and technically skilled players. Their officials know us and the Swiss league well: Sports Director Timo Koskela once played for the GCK Lions, and their coach Tommi Niemelä was an assistant coach in Lausanne.”

Lausanne HC Head Coach Geoff Ward: “They’re a very good team used to playing at the top of the league. They have good skills in the offensive zone with several players who know each other very well because of their longevity with the club.”

Genève-Servette Head Coach Jan Cadieux: “After Lahti, Ilves are the second Finnish team we’ll be facing this Regular Season. Second in the Liiga regular season, the Tampere team missed out on the Playoffs by being knocked out directly in the quarter-finals. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts after losing League top scorer Oula Palve. Whatever happens, we’re expecting a very high level match in their rink.”

Rouen Dragons Head Coach Fabrice Lhenry: “Ilves have a rich history of success and play a leading role in the Liiga each season. They’re also very competitive in the CHL! We met them last season in the Regular Season, but the team have done significant changes during this off-season. We still expect a fast, organised team with strong defensive discipline.”

Växjö Lakers Head Coach Jörgen Jönsson: “Ilves did well in the CHL last year and the team from Finland are always a good opponent.”