- Kärpät were beaten finalists in 2015/16
- Rouen make their second CHL appearance
- Exciting proespects on the Oulu roster
A rejuvenated Kärpät mark their return to the tournament as Liiga champions and will be looking to stamp their authority on the Rouen Dragons, who have yet to win a game in their history of the tournament.
A seventh-place finish in 2016/17 meant Kärpäts involvement in the CHL last year was restricted to watching fellow Finnish team JYP go on and win the trophy. This came after three tournaments of “what ifs” which included semi-final and final losses to Frolunda and a Round of 32 exit against eventual finalists Sparta Prague, who similarly failed in attempting to overcome the Indians.
"We’ve been in the final [with] the last step still to make. So maybe that’s our aim and goal"Harri Aho (General Manager, Kärpät Oulu)
While the Dragons will be arriving at the Oulun Energia Areena with a French Championship to their name, this doesn’t change the expectations of General Manager Guy Fournier, who had this to say at the Group F draw: “We just want to progress and we know that we’re not gonna win the cup but we just want to [do] our best to make some good hockey games”.
If pre-season form is anything to go by then a shutout will be hard to obtain for Dragons net-minder Matija Pintaric against a Kärpät side who’ve scored 15 goals in the three matches they’ve played, including a 4-0 victory against Luleå HF. The Dragons on the other hand lost their first two friendly games, including a forgettable 9-0 loss against Swiss side Lausanne HC. They’ve since bounced back with three wins out of four and will hope to cause an upset by registering not only three points in Group F, but their first ever win in the competition.
The two teams will be playing each other for the first time, undoubtedly eager to shake off any rustiness from their absence in the tournament last year.