In a match-up between two teams making their Champions Hockey League debuts, KooKoo Kuovola from Finland defeated Danish champions Herning Blue Fox 5-2. Herning came out hard on home ice and had a 5-1 shots advantage a few minutes in, but Kuovola quickly struck twice and led 2-0 halfway through the first period.

Just past the seven-minute mark, Ville Puhakka’s one-timer from the right point found its way through a crowd in front of the net untouched to open the scoring. Then exactly two minutes later, Santeri Sulku scored off the rush, ripping a wrist shot over the blocker-side shoulder of Jānis Fecers.

The Blue Foxes killed off each of the two penalties they took in the first period and managed to kill most of the third one early in the second, but with 18 seconds to go in the man advantage, Vilmos Galló centred out front to Marcus Davidsson, who went upstairs from in close to make it 3-0 for the visitors.

After getting some chances but failing to convert on their first powerplay of the game, Herning finally got on the board just seconds after it expired at 26:03. Still maintaining possession in the Kuovola zone, Matteus Vilmer Söderbom ripped a shot from the faceoff circle, beating Samuel Heikkinen to the far side.

Herning continued to stick around and the shot totals remained relatively even, but Kuovola broke the game open early in the third period on goals 1:34 apart by Samuel Valkeejärvi and Ossi-Petteri Jaakola. Mathias Bau Hansen got one back for Herning but, despite a couple of late powerplays, that's as close as they would come.