We spoke to representatives of our three Extraliga participants from Czechia following the CHL Draw in Tampere, Finland, to find out what their goals were for the upcoming season, what they thought about their teams' six Regular Season opponents, and what excites them about the new competition changes in 2023/24.
"It's a great experience for us"Miloš Holaň, Head Coach of Vítkovice Ridera
First to speak was Dynamo Pardubice's Sports Director Dušan Salfický: "Our goal is to make the Playoffs, but our main goal is to win the CHL!"
Miloš Holaň, Head Coach of Vítkovice Ridera, said his side "want to take the CHL game by game"
"It's a great experience for us and we will see from the first game how tough our opponents will be," added Holaň.
"We want to win every game!" was the response Jaroslav Kameš of Oceláři Třinec gave to the same question.
Which clubs stood out to the representatives following the CHL Draw?
"Belfast are a new one for us, we've heard about them and their fans before - we're looking forward to them," was Salfický's response, while Holaň noted that facing different styles of hockey is great for "both the fans and coaches."
"Swiss hockey, German hockey, Finnish hockey - it's going to be really interesting and a great opportunity to compare ourselves against teams across Europe," he added.
"Every team we'll face is strong," replied Kameš, Třinec's Team Manager and Goalie Coach.
And what did the representatives have to say about the new competition format for 2023/24?
"I hope the format brings more interesting games and fans to the sport," was Salfický's takeaway.
"It's much better to face more teams instead of home and away," commented Holaň, while Kameš said we'll have to "wait and see."