- First-ever meeting between these two teams
- Grodno's third CHL appearance, still looking to advance past Group Stage
- Brno made CHL Quarter-Finals last season
Neman Grodno hope that third time’s the charm in the Champions Hockey League, and they open up against two-time defending Czech champions Kometa Brno. For Grodno, this is their third appearance in the CHL and they’ve acquitted themselves well, but failed to escape the Group Stage. Brno made their first CHL appearance last year and made it to the Quarter-Finals.
In Grodno’s first two CHL appearances, they have gained a reputation of being especially hard to beat on home ice, which they are this game. In their small home arena, the fans are right on top of the action, which makes for an electric atmosphere. They’ve won four of five games on their home ice. Kometa fans watching at home or travelling to Grodno might be familiar with forward Tomáš Pitule, who played in the Czech Extraliga for Pilsen.
“They’re league champions but a bit of an unknown quantity for us. It will be for us a challenge with new team and probably new style, nevertheless it will be a great new experience for all of us.”Libor Zábranský (Head Coach, Kometa Brno)
Kometa Brno were a powerhouse in the 1950s and 60s, winning 11 Czech titles and three straight European titles. After decades of mediocrity, they have recently returned to the good times, winning back-to-back Czech titles and advancing to the CHL Quarter-Finals last year. This year, they have their sights set on something more, beginning with Friday night’s encounter in Grodno.
“Kometa are famous for their great hockey history and glorious fans. Their team prefers a high-speed and is a skilled brand of hockey. Kometa mainly consist of Czech players, so we should expect really high-speed hockey.”Sergei Pushkov (Head Coach, Neman Grodno)