Zug were the sole addition to our line-up of teams qualified for the 2021/22 season of the Champions Hockey League last week. The Swiss giants qualified for their eighth CHL season in a row and look to be one of the strongest teams on the continent at the moment. Who could join them this week? Here’s our weekly CHL Qualifiers update:
Besides runaway leaders EV Zug, the battle for the other CHL qualification places in the Swiss NL is extremely close. There are between two and four game days remaining and up to seven teams challenging for three CHL qualification places! If everything goes according to schedule and no games are postponed or cancelled, we could know the names of the qualified teams as early as this weekend.
The situation is similar in the SHL - the Växjö Lakers, who are not yet qualified for the CHL but are highly likely to in the coming days, have had a tough few weeks with numerous games being postponed, but the team still remains in contention for the SHL regular season title if they manage to win two out of their four remaining league games. The rest of the league table is very close, with Skellefteå AIK and surprise team of the season Leksands IF, who were close to relegation last season, the two most probable candidates to be the third team from the SHL to qualify in the regular season. Skellefteå are currently one point ahead, but who will ultimately qualify will be decided in their final regular season games of the season scheduled to be played today.
The Finnish Liiga has been the most effected league by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent weeks. Leaders Lukko Rauma are edging towards CHL qualification, but numerous games have been cancelled across the league and teams have struggled to play. With between seven and 13 rounds still remaining, the gap between some teams is getting bigger and bigger and with it the possibility of various CHL qualifiers. We’ll keep you updated!
The DEL is pushing on and its tight schedule with games every day could soon produce new CHL qualifiers. Eisbären Berlin and Adler Mannheim are the most likely candidates, but there are still ten rounds to go.
The battle for the Belarusian Extraleague title is in full swing. Yunost Minsk and Zhlobin are locked at 3-3 in their semi-final series and the title contenders will be decided in a do-or-die game seven. Will four-time qualifiers Minsk get knocked out and miss their chance of qualifying for the 2021/22 CHL season?
The Czech Extraliga quarter-finals are over and the four semi-finalists are: Sparta Prague, Oceláři Třinec – both already qualified for the CHL, Bílí Tygři Liberec and Mladá Boleslav. This makes the battle for the league’s third CHL qualification place quite interesting. If Sparta or Třinec win the championship, Mladá Boleslav qualify as the third-placed regular season team. The only way five-time CHL participants Liberec could qualify for 2021/22 is if they are crowned Extraliga Champions.
It’s a similar situation in the ICE Hockey League. Semi-finalists HC Bolzano and KAC Klagenfurt are already qualified for the upcoming CHL season but it’s now between the Vienna Capitals and Red Bull Salzburg to find out who will be the league’s third qualifier. Salzburg qualify if Vienna are knocked out, so the only way for Vienna to qualify for the CHL for the eighth time in a row is to win the championship.
The Polish Ekstraliga is one step away from crowning their league champions. GKS Jastrzebie and Comarch Cracovia are battling it out for the trophy and the league’s sole CHL qualification place. Jastrzebie are currently leading the final series 2-0 and could make their CHL debut in 2021/22 if they mange to win the next two games. Or will Cracovia mount a comeback and return to the CHL after a four-year absence? We could find out this weekend!
That's all for this week - follow our social channels to keep up to date about any new CHL qualifiers and tune in again next week for a comprehensive update on Europe's top leagues.