KAC Klagenfurt host the Rouen Dragons in their season-opener on Game Day 3 of the Champions Hockey League as both teams delay their starts due to the Final Olympic Qualification tournament.

Klagenfurt are a staple of the ICE-HL and the most successful club in the history of Austrian hockey. They have won 32 national championships, most recently last season when they beat rivals and fellow CHL Qualifiers HC Bolzano in a dramatic final to clinch their second title in three seasons.

Under the supervision of experienced Head Coach Petri Matikainen, KAC have assembled a multi-national squad of experienced veteran players and up-and-coming youngsters that stand behind their recent success. Proving just how comfortable they are with their current line-up is the fact that for the first time since 1986, KAC have made no new signings over the course of the off-season.

The Austrians have three seasons of CHL hockey under their belt and are the most experienced team of their Group, getting off to a winning start would be a great start to their campaign focused on making it out of the Group Stage for the very first time.

Rouen enter their third CHL season off the back of another successful year in their domestic league. The only French club participating in the 2021/22 season won their 16th league title last year, further cementing their place as the top team in Ligue Magnus.

Rouen’s two previous CHL participations have both been very different. Back in 2016/17 when they made their debut in the pan-European competition, they fell hard losing all four of their games without picking up a single point, but two years later they returned with a bang, winning three of their six Group Stage games and qualifying for the Playoffs. Despite being eliminated in the first elimination round, they proved just how much can change in two years and they will certainly be looking to replicate this form heading into 2021/22.