Finnish Champions Tappara Tampere begin their CHL campaign with a tricky game away to perennial Austrian challengers Red Bull Salzburg.

The Red Bulls famously let slip a lead against Lulea in the first CHL season as the Swedes then went on to lift the trophy, but since then haven't exactly set European hockey alight. "Tappara is one of Europe’s top teams," stated Head Coach Greg Poss. "They are usually towards the very top of the Finnish league and regularly produce players for the NHL. We expect the Finns to be one of the toughest opponents and they are undoubtedly favourites to win the group."

For Tappara European success has been the one thing lacking to compliment their back-to-back Finnish championships, something Head Coach Jukka Rautakorpi noted in his earlier comments about his teams aims for the season. On tonight's opponents, he knows what his side will be up against: "One of the biggest organizations in European hockey – and with some Finnish know-how, too. They're a very strong team with a good mix of experienced North American players and home-grown Austrians" he said.