Brynäs IF collected both a win and a loss during Game Days 1 and 2 of the Champions Hockey League. Despite outshooting Kometa Brno 28-24, the reigning Czech champions proved better with their shot efficiency on the night, notching a convincing 4-1 victory on home ice.

Road-trip number two, however, paid dividends, with the Swedish side bouncing back to dominate Mountfield HK. Netminder Damian Clara made 27 saves, collecting his first shutout of the Regular Season. That performance was backed up by a solid 4-2 win over KAC Klagenfurt on Game Day 3. So far, Native Linus Ölund leads his side with 4 points (1G, 3A) over three games.

ZSC Lions Zurich, who were crowned 2024/25 CHL Champions, faced an almost identical outcome, losing 3-2 in OT to Pinguins Bremerhaven during their opening game. The Swiss outshot their rivals and had more powerplay chances, but the Germans ultimately clinched the victory.

The powerhouse team from Zurich hit their stride on Game Day 2, taking GKS Tychy 4-0. Local duo Justin Sigrist and Sven Andrighetto were at the forefront of the Lions' offensive prowess, collecting five points between them, while Czech netminder Šimon Hrubec was flawless, stopping all 20 attempts by the Polish team.

The Lions were on the road for Game Day 3, and scored two goals in the second and third periods to cruise past the Odense Bulldogs 4-2 thanks to the combined efforts of Derek Grant, Thierry Bader and Rūdolfs Balcers. Andrighetto opened the scoring and currently leads all players for goals (3G, 1A). 

Brynäs has never faced Zurivh before, so this match-up will be fireworks between two talented teams. On the one side, the Swedes enter the competition with less experience compared to their Swiss counterparts, but as regular season winners of the SHL, there’s no doubt this team can mix it up with the best. On the other hand, although Zurich’s depth of experience is a formidable strength, Swedish teams are notorious for being consistently tough opponents.