In the first game for both teams, Sparta Prague of Czechia host Danish champions Aalborg Pirates. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. In fact, in previous Champion Hockey League seasons, Sparta have never faced a Danish team and Aalborg have never faced a Czech team.

Sparta have a lot more international experience than Aalborg, having played in the CHL on four previous occasions. Their most successful run was in 2016/17 when they reached the Final, losing to Frölunda Gothenburg in overtime. Last season, they went out in the Quarter-Finals to eventual champions Rögle Ängelholm.

Of course, Sparta Prague is one of the most recognizable sporting brands in Europe. They qualified for this year’s CHL by reaching the Extraliga finals, where they fell in five games to Oceláři Třinec. Their roster includes experienced NHLers Vladimír Sobotka and Milan Jurčina. Captain Michal Řepík also has a ton of international experience and was a member of the Czech national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

Aalborg previously made the CHL in 2018/19 and finished fourth in Group A, although they did manage three points via an overtime win over the Vienna Capitals and an overtime loss to ZSC Lions Zurich. Last season, they played in the IIHF Continental Cup and hosted the final round, where they placed third.

Internationally recognizable names on Aalborg’s roster include veteran forwards Julian Jakobsen and Patrick Bjorkstrand, who are both longtime members of the Danish national team. Like Řepík, Pirates captain Jakobsen was on the Danish team that beat the Czechs and reached the quarter-finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.