Ahead of the start of the upcoming Champions Hockey League season, we asked the Head Coaches of Frölunda Gothenburg's six Regular Season opponents what their thoughts are on the Swedish team - here's what they had to say!
HC Bolzano Head Coach Kurt Kleinendorst: “We know this is a team with a great tradition, not just in Sweden but also in the Champions Hockey League, which they’ve won multiple times. Playing on their home ice will make the challenge even tougher, but our goal is to give everything we’ve got. We respect the opponent, but we always play to win. We might not be the favorites, but I don’t care about predictions or what people think.”
Lausanne HC Head Coach Geoff Ward: “They’re a very experienced team, used to the big games. They’ve already won the CHL four times! Year after year, they continue to achieve good results in the very competitive SHL.”
GKS Tychy Head Coach Pekka Tirkkonen: “Four-time CHL Champions! Definitely a lot of new energy with their new head coach. A good mix of young and experienced players. They play fast and technical hockey.”
Sparta Prague Head Coach Pavel Gross: “Frölunda are a team that are very well known in the Swedish league. It will be similar to facing Luleå. They will play all over the ice and generally be hard and uncomfortable.”
Eisbären Berlin Head Coach Serge Aubin: “Frölunda are one of the best teams in Europe. They’ve won the CHL four times. We played them three years ago in the CHL and they were competitive and hard games. Our meeting this season will be a huge task for us!”
SC Bern Head Coach Jussi Tapola: “Over the past ten years, Frölunda have been one of the top teams in Europe. They are consistently strong, often ranked in the Top 4 and a true powerhouse. They play with high intensity, fast skating and relentless forechecking. For me, they’ve always been one of the toughest and most aggressive teams in Europe. This season is particularly interesting, as Frölunda have a new head coach. Robert Ohlsson took over after Roger Rönnberg left in the summer to join Fribourg-Gottéron. It remains to be seen whether the team will continue with their usual playing style or make adjustments under Ohlsson. But their DNA is built around intensity, structure and relentless pressure, so we expect a tough battle either way. That’s what makes the Champions Hockey League so special — every team plays a different style, so you need to adapt accordingly.”