Danish champions the Odense Bulldogs will be suiting up against Czech side Mountfield HK as the Danes prepare for their first-ever Champions Hockey League contest. Mountfield have a bit of experience on their side, participating in four previous iterations of the CHL and earning a trip to the Final in 2019/20 campaign, but that shouldn't sway the meter too much in their direction as Odense have overcome similarly greater odds on their journey to their first-ever national championship.

The club from central Denmark are the only representative from their country, but their impressive play in their domestic league is sure to give their fans and their home country something to celebrate. After eliminating Rungsted Seier Capital in the semi-finals, Odense went on to take down Herning Blue Fox in a convincing finals series that cemented their qualification for the CHL.

Despite another uphill battle staring down the Danes as they prepare to face off against Europe's elite, their mix of speed and skill in concert with going in as the underdogs will surely give them the motivation to make every effort to perform at their best when puck drops later this month.

For Mountfield, their qualification marks another chance to make things right when their hopes of becoming CHL Champions were dashed as Frölunda Gothenburg secured their third title, and second against a Czech team, with a 3-1 victory in the 2019/20 CHL Final. In their last venture, the Czechs were unable to repeat the success they had had a couple seasons prior as they exited the competition in the Quarter-Finals during the 2022/23 campaign.

Now, after a short hiatus from the competition, Mountfield are primed and ready to extend their domestic league success onto the greater European stage as they hope to become the first Czech team to hoist the European Trophy.