- Storhammar return to the CHL for the first time since 2015-16
- Tappara are a mainstay of the CHL and will look to keep their streak of qualifying out of the group stage alive
- Norwegians caused shocks by reaching the Round of 16 last time they were in the CHL
The second game in Group E see’s Tappara Tampere of Finland travel to take on the reigning Norwegian champions Storhamar Hamar, who topped their group the last time they featured in the Champions Hockey League.
After a short pre-season for Storhamar they’ll be looking to ride the momentum into game one of the CHL, winning all three of their warm up games against Danish sides Frederikshavn and Aalborg, as well as league rivals Valerenga.
Fredrik Soderstrom is back for his second season leading the team and he’s managed to convince experienced forward Patrick Thoresen to return to the club after he spent the last half of the previous season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, and the two-time Norwegian Player of the Year will no doubt be the most important part of the squad as they look to cause an upset or two in Group E. Another key player to watch for is netminder Oskar Ostlund who’s starting his fourth-year with the club, previously impressing with a .955 save percentage in six CHL games in 2015-16, and the team will rely heavily on him against a relentless Tappara attack.
"They're one of the best teams in Finland, and have great players with experience from the highest levels"Fredrik Söderström (Head Coach, Storhamar Hamar)
The visiting side Tappara will be riding high with confidence heading into this game after 3 wins and just one loss in their pre-season campaign, and with the return of a former player in Antti Erkinjuntti to the lineup, head coach Jukka Rautakorpi has done a great job keeping key guys in town and bringing in some useful veterans to help them as they kick off their CHL campaign.
Newly appointed captain Kristian Kuusela led the team in points last year, adding 9 points in seven CHL games and will be a key component of the sides attack, while young forward Otto Rauhala continues to grow his stature in European hockey, and could be an underrated player coming into the group stage.
Tappara have a good record of developing players for the future and that’s a trend that’s continuing with draft eligible prospect Hugo Has who’s proven himself as a steady puck moving defenceman that could benefit from extra minutes in the CHL this year, and could be an exciting player to watch.
"We've played Norwegian teams before and won't be underestimating any team"Jukka Rautakorpi (Head Coach, Tappara Tampere)