- Graz won their last game of the 2026/27 CHL season
- Storhamar struggled in defence
- The Austrians netted three straight in 1:11 in the first
It was a triumphant night for the Graz99ers who ended their 2026/27 Champions Hockey League campaign on a high note, dismantling Storhamar Hamar's defence to take a 6-3 final and their first win of the season.
The Austrians ochestrated an impressive offensive performance ten minutes into the contest when they managed to light the lamp three times in just over a minute.
Kevin Conley broke through first when he wristed one past Tyler Parks from the slot. Then Clayton Hanus followed suit with his third of the season when he let go one that trickled through Parks' pads 50 seconds later. Finally, Christopher Collins capped off the Austrians' trio of tallies when he powered his way through the offensive zone before gliding towards the far circle and lifting it far side to make it 3-0 with more eight minutes yet to play in the opening stanza.
Graz99ers went on to add three more tucks to their total in the second, while the Norwegians lit the lamp for the first time on the night.
Erik Wittwer extended his club's advantage to 4 when he pounced on an errant outlet pass from Theo R. de Vries and wristed it stick side. Then, with exactly four minutes to go in the period, a tic-tac-toe play allowed Michael Schiechl to tap it backdoor to make it 5-0 for the visitors.
Storhamar finally found some life on the powerplay when Amil Krupic one-timed it from the point for his third of the season. But two minutes later, it was Conley netting his second of the night, sliding it through the five-hole to regain Graz99ers five-goal edge.
The Norwegians continued to try and battle their way back in the third and Axel Sandnes helped them do just that with his second of the season at 45:22. The forward took advantage of a Nicolas Wieser miscue behind the net as he skated into open space and easily tapped it in to bring the deficit down to four.
Later in the period, the hosts would go on to register their third with less than six minutes to go when a shot from Jesper M. Lilleberg trickled through Wieser to halve the goal gap.
But that would end up being the final tally, as the Norwegians would go on to fall for a second time in three games, while the Austrians were able to bow out with grace.