EHC Biel-Bienne will mark their Champions Hockey League return with a game against Slovak champions HC Košice. Both teams have participated in the CHL in the past - Swiss side Biel-Bienne last played in the pan-European competition in 2019/20 when they made the Quarter-Finals, while Košice played 14 games across three seasons between 2014 and 2017. Who will mark their big return with the win?

It could be Biel-Bienne, who head into this game with the home-ice advantage and as favourites to win. The Swiss team finished runners-up in the National League regular season, missing out on top spot to Genève-Servette by head-to-head. Their duels with Genève would carry on into the playoffs, with the two teams battling it out for the championship in the playoff final all the way down to game 7, which ended in another disappointment for Biel-Bienne.

The three-time Swiss champions have been active in the off-season signing 5+ players, but one player stands out - Aleksi Heponiemi. The 24-year-old joined straight from the NHL's Florida Panthers and will be looking to make an immediate impact on the ice - watch out for him on the ice!

Košice might be the lesser team, but they are not to be overlooked. The Slovak side won their first domestic title since 2015 last season and head into this CHL season prepared to prove any doubters wrong, but Košice's Head Coach Dan Ceman respects Biel-Bienne's quality: “They’re a really well-rounded team with a strong work ethic. Some great veteran Swiss players, solid two-way imports and an outstanding goalie. I’ve coached against Petri Matikainen and his teams in the past have played very aggressively on the puck, giving opponents no space. In my view, Biel-Bienne seem like a very difficult team to play against and this will for sure be the case with Petri behind the bench as well.”

Košice have also made some important signings over the summer, including poaching some players from their Slovak Extraliga rivals, but have also brought over some talent from the North American AHL.

As the sole representative of Slovakia, it's up to Košice to represent not only their organisation, but their entire country - the extra pressure on the underdogs could make for some surprise results against stronger teams!