This game has the two-time defending Slovak Liga champions welcoming the European champions from Jyväskylä, Finland. These two teams have never faced each other before in a meaningful competition, and in fact this will be JYP’s first meaningful game against a Slovak team at all. Last season, in their first major international competition, Banská Bystrica spit their two Group Stage games with Tappara.

After winning the CHL Final 2-0 in Växjö in February, JYP finished second in the Liiga regular-season standings and then bowed out in the quarter-finals. This was not deemed acceptable, and some changes were made. The biggest change was a swap of goalies, in which Jussi Olkinuora – who posted a shutout in the CHL Final – was sent to Pelicans Lahti in exchange for Joona Voutilainen. The team also added some experience by bringing back former team captain Éric Perrin, who at 42 was the oldest player in the CHL last season with TPS and probably will be again this season.  They also have a new head coach, with 35-year-old Lauri Merikivi behind the bench.

After winning their first Slovak title last season, Banská Bystrica beefed up their roster for the CHL and they managed to win a couple of games, although were unable to advance past the Group Stage. This time around, after repeating as champions, they’ve done it again. The biggest additions are American goaltender Stephon Williams, who has split his career between the AHL and ECHL to this point, and this past week Slovak centre Andrej Šťastný, who comes from the KHL.

Watch this game live online (subject to Geo-blocking) | Make your predictions in the CHL Fan Challenge