CHL President Jörgen Lindgren was first to speak, highlighting the amazing CHL Final 2026 that saw Frölunda Gothenburg win their fifth CHL title, then going on to discuss other highlights of the past season that included some of the Challenger League teams: "Seeing teams like Storhamar and Grenoble make the Round of 16 was really good to see," revealed Lindgren.

"The goals of the CHL remain the same as in the past: we want to get the CHL as visible as possible across all platforms," said Lindgren.

After a run through of some CHL statistics, reigning CHL Champion Nicklas Lasu was the first guest to join the Virtual Press Conference.

"Playing and winning the CHL Final at home in front of my friends and family is a memory I will carry with me," he said.

"Every game counts, right from Game Day 1," revealed the CHL record holder for most games played when asked about the upcoming season, "as a club, we always want to win and play against the best players and the best teams."

Roger Rönnberg, a four-time CHL Champion and the very first coach set to break 100 games coached in Europe's elite club ice hockey competition, was the next guest to join the press conference virtually.

"We are looking to push to a higher level of performance in the way we play. We are hungry for a title this club has yet to achieve!" was one of the standout quotes from highly experienced head coach Rönnberg, "good preparation and having no excuses is crucial," he added when asked about what makes a truly successful team.

Following Rönnberg, some of the most experienced and recognisable names in European hockey each shared some of their favourite CHL moments, before Kölner Haie's legendary Moritz Müller joined to briefly speak.

The Kölner Haie captain also revealed that the fans are "thirsty for European hockey" and "really excited" for the upcoming games. "Being part of this competition again means a lot to me," he ended.

Fadri Holinger, CHL Director of Operations & Sport, was then welcomed and ran through some updates ahead of the season, covering the competition format and some important moments of the past seasons.

"Teams remaining in the Playoffs race have increased each and every season since the new competition format was introduced, highlighting the growing competitiveness across Europe," he revealed. 

The past CHL Final was also reviewed, with Holinger going on to analyse and review the CHL Specific On-ice rules and the "No Return" Rule, confirming a positive impact of the rules and their widespread approval, including their introduction in the IIHF Official Rulebook. 

Folloring Holinger, Matěj Stránský, a new signing of reigning Czech Extraliga champions Dynamo Pardubice, spoke next, highlighting his and his club's goals for the upcoming season: "Pardubice are a team that want to win everything - that's the goal here as well."

In the second part of the press conference, the CHL revealed that after a successful introduction in 2025/26 that saw Brynäs IF take the win, the Impact Award would return again for 2026/27.

A strategic shift to engage with influencers was also shared, with the CHL launching the Influencer Hub, offering influencers across Europe the chance to see what the CHL is all about.

Dan Tangnes, Head Coach of Rögle Ängelholm, was the final guest to join the press conference live, revealing that facing friends and familiar faces is a big and special part of the Champions Hockey League.

"Developing and educating myself as a coach, while also testing ourselves as a team against different styles and philosophies has been huge in the CHL," said Tangnes.

Final comments ended the 2026/27 Virtual Pre-Season Press Conference, setting the perfect stage for the season start on Thursday.