The Lahti Pelicans came up short of their bid for their first-ever Liiga championship, losing four games to one against Tappara Tampere. But their success during the regular season has earned them their third Champions Hockey League qualification and second in as many seasons. Färjestad Karlstad ended their SHL season atop the standings and because of it, have earned their place in the CHL for a seventh time.

Now in his third full season behind the Färjestad bench, Tomas Mitell is no stranger to success with his club, even winning the SHL during the 2021/22 season. But going up against Europe's elite provides its own unique challenges, and Finnish teams have proven to be tough opponents for Mitell's club. "As always when it comes to the Finnish teams, they are really good," noted the coach.

Part of what makes Lahti hard to play against comes from the amount of experience they have as Mitell is no doubt aware of: "The Pelicans have a roster with a lot of familiar names who have played in the SHL, so it will certainly be a tough away game.” Fortunately for the 43-year-old bench boss, his squad has historically done well on the road. Last season, Färjestad won four out of their five away games.

That trend could certainly continue, especially when you consider the likes of David Tomášek - who led the team in regular season scoring - and Joel Kellman, their top CHL scorer, suiting up for another season with the Swedish club.

In last year's CHL, the Finns managed to score 3.00 goals per game and were in the top five for powerplay conversion with 23.33%. They also allowed more than three goals only once and had one of the best backstops in Jasper Patrikainen who will be returning for his fifth season with the organisation.

Now, one year removed from their Round of 16 exit and fresh off their second consecutive appearance in the Liiga final, Lahti are poised for a deep run in the 2024/25 CHL and no one is underestimating the talent this team has.