Group D winners Lausanne HC will face a tough task to advance to the Quarter-Finals in their debut CHL season. They will face last season's Semi-Finalists HC Pilsen in the Round of 16, with the Czech side desperate to go one further this season.
Their first journey into the CHL has been a successful one so far for Lausanne. They won an extremely tight Group D by not losing a single game in regulation time. What’s more, all of their games had been decided by just one goal until they scored 5-on-3 at 59:59 of their last game against Třinec gave them a 5-3 win. They entered the last day in their brand-new Vaudoise Arena still not knowing their fate exactly, but a Minsk shootout loss meant that they were through, regardless of the outcome of their last game.
Christoph Bertschy has scored at a torrid pace throughout the competition with three goals and four assists. His seven points put him three ahead of anybody else on the team.
"We're proud to continue our CHL journey. We're excited and know Pilsen have a very strong team, especially with the second-best Top Scorer in the CHL!"Jan Alston (General Manager, Lausanne HC)
Last season’s Semi-Finalists HC Pilsen qualified for the Round of 16 for only the second time in their history. The attack-minded team finished second behind rivals EV Zug in Group B, but their battle for top spot was open right up to the final game day. Their overall Group Stage run saw Pilsen beat HPK Hämeenlinna in overtime both home and away and very decisively hold off Rungsted Seier Capital 9-3 at home and 4-2 away.
Team captain Milan Gulaš has once again proved that he is not only a leader in the dressing room but also a leader on the ice – his eight goals leave him top of the CHL charts and when combined with his four assists he is one of the most feared players on the ice.
"We are happy with the draw. Lausanne are doing very well in their own league, and won their group so there’s no doubt they’re a top team."Ladislav Čihák (Head Coach, HC Pilsen)