In what might just be one of the most mouth-watering clashes of Game Day 1, EBEL Champions KAC Klagenfurt welcome Finnish powerhouse Tappara Tampere to the Eissportzentrum Klagenfurt. Both teams will be looking to get their respective campaigns off to a winning start, and gain an early lead in Group A.

KAC Klagenfurt head into 2019/20 with an almost unchanged roster from the one which won the EBEL title last season. However, Austrian forward Manual Ganahl returns after a year in Finland, with the side looking to improve on their last CHL campaign in 2017/18, which ended at the Group Stage. The Rotjacken come into this game after going undefeated in their pre-season campaign. The Rotjacken won all four games, including an exciting 7-4 victory over fellow CHL challenger, HC05 Banská Bystrica. Last week, the club picked up a 3-1 victory on home ice against German side Grizzlys Wolfsburg, so will come into this game with high confidence. New club Captain David Fischer has already been in fine form during pre-season, so look for him to be a difference maker if KAC want to pick up the win on Thursday.

Tappara Tampere are one of just five clubs to have competed in every single CHL season, but the team has yet to make it to the Quarter-Finals. The team made a number of significant changes, which included the signing of Swedish defenceman Alexander Ytterell, promising forwards Patrik Virta and Charles Bertrand, and last season's ECHL Kelly Cup winning netminder Michael Garteig. Unlike KAC, Tappara Tampere have had a mixed bag during pre-season. The club left the Tampere Cup with the Bronze Medal, after losing their opening game against Ilves 7-2, before picking up a 3-1 victory against SaiPa Lappeenranta. In their final pre-season game, Tappara lost a close-fought 3-2 game against Lukko Rauma, who capitalised on a number of powerplay chances. French forward Charles Bertrand has been impressive in pre-season for Tappara, scoring 2 goals in 3 games.