Luleå Hockey host Kometa Brno in the first game of their Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night, with both sides looking to establish an early advantage in the knockout stages of the 2025/26 Champions Hockey League. The Swedish and Czech champions each delivered solid Regular Season campaigns, finishing with identical 3–3 records and a 50% win rate, setting the stage for what promises to be a very balanced and competitive match-up.

Luleå finished the Regular Season with 13 goals scored and 13 against, demonstrating their disciplined defensive structure. They recorded notable victories against SC Bern, GKS Tychy and HC Bolzano - the latter in overtime - and only narrowly fell to Sparta Prague and Pinguins Bremerhaven on the road. Their consistency and experience at this stage make them a difficult opponent to beat, especially on home ice at the Coop Norrbotten Arena.

Offensively, Mathias Bromé has been the main catalyst, collecting 7 points (1G, 6A) in six games, while Eetu Koivistoinen and Filip Eriksson have also chipped in with three points each. On the blue line, Frédéric Allard has been instrumental, leading all Luleå defencemen with 5 assists and a +3 rating, while goaltending duties have been shared effectively between Matteus Ward (91,53 SVS%), Isak Sörqvist (2–0 win/loss record, 89.19 SVS%) and Joel Lassinantti (91.49 SVS%). Luleå’s special teams have also been efficient, converting 19.05% of their powerplays and killing 91.67% of penalties - the latter ranking among the best in the CHL.

Kometa Brno, meanwhile, also earned a 3–3 record but scored 21 times - eight more than the Swedes - while conceding 22. The Czech side alternated between impressive attacking displays and narrow defeats, yet their offensive depth has been a major strength.

Hynek Zohorna and Šimon Stránský lead the way with 6 points each, supported by Tomáš Zohorna (5 points) and steady blue-line contributions from Filip Král and Libor Zábranský, both with 3 points.

Between the pipes, Jan Kavan has logged the most minutes (160) with an 89.6% save percentage, while Aleš Stezka follows closely at 90.9%. Kometa’s special teams are respectable (16% on the power play and 84.21% on the penalty kill), but they will need to tighten defensively against a structured Swedish opponent.

Both teams have shown resilience and balanced production across their rosters. With Luleå enjoying home-ice advantage and Kometa bringing offensive firepower, Tuesday’s opener in northern Sweden sets up an intriguing first act in this Round of 16 tie.