Ahead of the start of the upcoming Champions Hockey League season, we asked the Head Coaches of Luleå Hockey's six Regular Season opponents what their thoughts are on the Swedish team - here's what they had to say!
EV Zug Head Coach Michael Liniger: “Luleå are a high-level, well-balanced team that play with great intensity across all four lines. They’re structured, disciplined and feature several standout players. Years of continuity within the coaching staff have helped establish a strong foundation and clear identity — one that consistently makes them a serious title contender.”
SC Bern Head Coach Jussi Tapola: “Luleå are the Swedish champions. Their players are tough, well-coached and backed by strong support. I was able to catch a few of their playoff games and it’s clear: they play with incredibly tight defense and a solid structure. That’s typical for Swedish teams — they always bring high intensity, especially when it comes to skating and forechecking. Luleå, in particular, are a team that skate a lot and apply constant pressure. It’s definitely going to be an intense game!”
Sparta Prague Head Coach Pavel Gross: “Luleå are the SHL champions, I’ve been watching this team a bit. They put on a lot of pressure and use high pressure forechecking.”
GKS Tychy Head Coach Pekka Tirkkonen: “Defending champions from the SHL, which is arguably the best league in Europe. A strong, aggressive team that skates well and puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. It will be an interesting battle between our Finnish players and Luleå’s many Finnish players.”
Pinguins Bremerhaven Head Coach Alexander Sulzer: "The draw for the upcoming CHL season has given us a challenging but also very attractive group of opponents. With opponents such as Luleå Hockey, we will be welcoming an absolute top team from Sweden to Bremerhaven – that is European ice hockey at the highest level. They stand for a very structured, physical game and will present us with major challenges."
HC Bolzano Head Coach Kurt Kleinendorst: “It’s a tough trip because of the distance, but also an exciting one. Just like with Frölunda, it’ll be an interesting challenge against a different style of hockey - facing a team from a league we rarely get to play against. We’ll be ready.”