With Kärpät Oulu from Finland and Bílí Tygři Liberec from the Czech Republic qualifying this past week, the total number of qualified teams for the 2020/21 Champions Hockey League season is now up to 11. More are coming this week – possibly up to four as early as Tuesday.

Stay up to date on the #RacetoQualify here. 

One of those teams is Luleå Hockey, who host fourth-placed Rögle BK, and an OT win would give the SHL’s current leaders enough of a cushion to finish in the top three. Luleå would become Sweden’s second qualifier, joining the CHL-winning Frölunda Indians.

Two other potential qualifiers on Tuesday are the Straubing Tigers and Adler Mannheim in Germany, which will happen if fourth-placed Eisbären Berlin lose to the Schwenninger Wild Wings in the only game of the day. If Die Eisbären win, everything will be decided on Friday or Sunday.

There’s also a very tight race for second place in the Czech Extraliga with four teams still in contention with just two games left. BK Mladá Boleslav could qualify on Tuesday with a favourable combination of results. If not, it will come down to the last day of the regular season on Friday, with tiebreakers possibly in play.

After Kärpät became Finland’s first qualifier, they could be joined by Tappara Tampere this weekend, who would match Frölunda and Zug as seven-time qualifiers.

The EBEL playoffs are about to start and the last team to qualify for the CHL will be the champion. If the champion is either Red Bull Salzburg or HC Bolzano, the other finalist would be qualified.

And in Switzerland, all four teams from the regular season have already qualified. If either Zug, ZSC Lions Zurich, HC Davos or Genève-Servette win the title, then fifth-placed EHC Biel-Bienne will re-qualify.