Race for 2023/24 | Busy Easter Break for CHL Qualifiers!

It could turn out to be a very busy Easter break in terms of qualifiers for the 2023/24 season of the Champions Hockey League as hopefuls across Europe's top leagues stand a chance of securing their spot in the line-up for the upcoming season in the span of the next five days!

Here's a full breakdown of which teams could punch their ticket for 2023/24 in the upcoming week.

The Lahti Pelicans could return to the CHL in 2023/24! (Photo: Tomi Natri)

Finland

The situation in Finland's Liiga is one of the easiest we'll cover today - 2019/20 CHL participants Lahti Pelicans need 2023 CHL Champions Tappara Tampere to secure their place in the Liiga finals in order for the Pelicans to qualify.

If they do, regardless of the outcome of the final, Liiga regular season fourth-place finishers Lahti are back for a second stint in Europe's biggest club ice hockey competition.

On the flip side, if Tappara lose their semi-finals series to IFK Helsinki, it's up to Lahti to win their place in the Champions Hockey League by knocking already-qualified Ilves Tampere out in their semi-finals series and securing the Finnish championship for themselves.

Lahti would also qualify if Ilves beat Helsinki to the Liiga championship. If Helsinki win the Finnish championship, they qualify for the 2023/24 season of the CHL.

Tappara won the CHL last season meaning Finland have an extra qualification spot for 23/24 (Photo: Lulea Hockey)

Sweden & Switzerland

Only three teams have qualified for each and every CHL season since the 2014/15 season - Finnish side Tappara Tampere, Swiss club EV Zug and Swedish team Frölunda Gothenburg.

The trio represent three of the strongest teams on the pan-European stage but come the first puck-drop of the upcoming season, there could suddenly be only one of them left since both Zug and Frölunda have yet to confirm their place in 2023/24.

Despite both still being in the Race for 2023/24, they both only have one option to secure qualification for another season of ice hockey on the pan-European stage - win their respective championship.

Frölunda are the most successful team in the history of the CHL (Photo: Fredrik Sundvall)

If that doesn't happen, Sweden could see SHL third-place finishers Färjestad Karlstad qualify if already-qualified Skellefteå AIK and Växjö Lakers contest the final, or if either of them win the title.

Similar to Frölunda, only one situation could see semi-finalists Örebro HK qualify - if they lift the trophy in the SHL this season.

EV Zug made it to the CHL Semi-Finals this season but could miss out on the action in 2023/24 (Photo: Philipp Hegglin)

It's a similar situation in Switzerland's National League - Zug need to win the championship to qualify for the upcoming CHL season.

Since EHC Biel-Bienne have already earned their spot in the NL finals, the hopes of third-place regular season finishers Rapperswil-Jona Lakers rest on Genève-Servette.

If the Geneva-based club make the finals, Rapperswil are in for their second CHL season, if they don't, they have to hope that Biel-Bienne beat Zug to the championship.

Rapperswil and their amazing fans could return to the CHL for a second time in a row! (Photo: Thomas Oswald)

Germany & Czechia

Red Bull Munich and ERC Ingolstadt have already secured their place in the upcoming 2023/34 season, but the DEL's third place is still up for grabs.

Since both clubs are still in the race for the German championship, regular season third-place finishers Adler Mannheim have their fingers crossed that Munich beat Grizzlys Wolfsburg to the place in the DEL finals.

If they do, die Adler will have a certain place in the 2023/24 line-up. If Wolfsburg make it to the finals, the Mannheim-based club will either have to beat them to the championship title themselves or hope that Ingolstadt do.

Wolfsburg qualify if they win the championship.

Adler Mannheim have played in six past CHL seasons (Photo: Sorli Binder)

The situation in Czech's Extraliga is complicated. Already-qualified Dynamo Pardubice and Vítkovice Ridera are both in the semi-finals, battling with Oceláři Třinec and Mountfield HK respectively for a place in the final.

If Třinec or Mountfield want to return to the CHL for 2023/24, they have to win the championship - no ifs, buts or maybes.

If Pardubice and Vítkovice both make it to the finals, or either of them beat Třinec or Mountfield to the title, regular season third-place finisher Sparta Prague, who surprisingly exited the Extraliga playoffs in the quarter-finals, qualify for their seventh season of elite European club ice hockey.

France & Norway

We could see Grenoble secure their place in the line-up of the upcoming CHL season as early as this Sunday!

The French team are currently 2-0 up against the Rouen Dragons in the battle for the championship. If they make it to four wins before Rouen do, they're in for 2023/24.

In Norway, we have a similar situation - Storhamar Hamar are 2-0 up against last season's CHL participants the Stavanger Oilers.

Storhamar could seal the deal next Tuesday if they make it a clean sweep, otherwise, we'll just have to wait for either of them to make it to four wins.

Aalborg could play in the CHL this season (Photo: Sara Aarøe)

Denmark & Slovakia

These two Challenger Leagues are still some time away from determining their participants for 2023/24.

Demark's Metal Ligaen already have one of their finalists set - three-time CHL qualifiers Aalborg Pirates - but are still waiting for the result of the other semi-finals series to see who will challenge Aalborg for the Danish title and place in the line-up of the upcoming CHL season.

With four teams still neck and neck in the race for the championship in Slovakia's Extraliga, the wait to see who will represent the country on Europe's biggest club ice hockey stage is even further away.

Stay tuned to our website and social media channels to be the first to know about any new qualifiers for the upcoming 2023/24 season of the Champions Hockey League.