Last season, Färjestad Karlstad went 4-2 through the Group Stage and looked primed to continue their strong play into the Round of 16. But two close contests against Czech side Mountfield HK prevented the Swedes from advancing into the further rounds. Now, one year removed from their upset against the Czechs, Karlstad are looking to repeat their performance from last year’s opening and beyond. Their challengers, the Stavanger Oilers, fell short of advancing but are set to make their sixth CHL appearance and second in as many seasons after becoming back-to-back national champions.

The Swedish side has brought in a bevy of new talent to help them to this end, including NHL-caliber netminder Maxime Lagacé. Lagacé last played for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL and brings with him a combined 264 games between the NHL and AHL. Karlstad also have several young prospects, including Liam Öhgren who was selected 19th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild, who are looking for a chance to showcase their skills. Fortunately for the Swedes, some of their top talent from last season will also remain on the squad, including Marcus Nilsson who led Karlstad in points with nine (1G, 8A) in seven games played.

One of Stavanger's best players from last year was undoubtedly Henrik Holm who should be back between the pipes for the start of this season. Despite his losing record, the 32-year-old was solid in his fifth CHL outing, sporting a 2.14 GAA and 93.56 SV% in six games played. Holm's performance in Norway's top-tier league Eliteserien was otherworldly as he recorded 11 shutouts and five more in the playoffs. Some key players from last year’s campaign will also be returning to Stavanger’s line-up including Tommy Kristiansen and Dan Kissel who were second and third in points on the team, respectively. Kristiansen had two tallies and one assist in six games while Kissel ended the tournament with two goals in six games.

Färjestad will be looking to start the new CHL season with a win, as will Stavanger in front of their home crowd - don't miss this one!