The Champions Hockey League Semi-Final matchup between the clubs from Gothenburg and Pilsen not only matches two great hockey cities, but also two teams that have the “Indians” nickname.
The Frölunda Indians have been the CHL’s most dominant team since its re-inception, making the Final the first three years and winning two straight titles. HC Pilsen, on the other hand, are only in the CHL for the second time, but over the last five years have established themselves as one of the top teams in the Czech Extraliga, and now looking to break through as one of the recognizable names in European hockey.
This season, Pilsen were the only team to go through the Group Stage unbeaten, with six wins, five of them in regulation time. Through the playoff round, they remain unbeaten. In the Round of 16 came a relatively easy win over HC Bolzano. In the next round came a much more impressive victory over Skelleftea AIK in the Quarter-Finals in a shootout, after a dramatic exchange of goals late in the second leg.
At the other end of the ice, Frölunda have nothing left to prove to the rest of Europe, and yet the cub has not lost its zeal for victory. After two victories, in two of the CHL’s more memorable games, the Swedish Indians are still out for more. Last year’s Round of 16 defeat at the hands of Liberec did not dissuade them.
Milan Gulaš is a big reason Pilsen have gotten this far, with his performance in the Round of 16 against HC Bolzano and in the Quarter-Finals against Skelleftea. Other big scorers they’ve had both domestically and in the CHL are David Stach, Vojtěch Němec, Petr Kodýtek and Petr Straka.
As for Frölunda, they have many players that are familiar to international hockey fans. Ryan Lasch won the CHL MVP and Top Scorer award in 2015/16 season and is on his way to do so again, but he’s not alone. Defenceman Chay Genoway, junior star Samuel Fagemo and captain Joel Lundqvist are all showing their ways as well, but individuals are not going to pave the way for success alone, they will have to pave the way. Despite Frölundas success in the CHL in the past, they are going to earn it past Pilsen or any other team they will face. And so will be the case against Pilsen.
Sweden vs Czech Republic
While this isn’t a border war like the other Semi-Final, it is a matchup between clubs from continental Europe’s two oldest hockey powers. The national teams of the two countries have a long history of competing against each other, with many memorable clashes.
At the club level there have been some good battles as well, but in the big games, it has been the Swedes who have been victorious. Most notable was the 2016-17 CHL Final, in which Frölunda defeated Sparta Prague 4-3 in overtime at home in Gothenburg. In the Semi-Finals, going back to the European Cup, Brynäs IF defeated Dukla Jihlava in 1972 and Djurgarden Stockholm beat Sparta in 1990. And then, just last season, the Växjö Lakers defeated Bílí Tygři Liberec.
Will the Swedish dominance continue, or is it time for a Czech club to prevail?