With Game Day 6 only days away and the Group Stage standings set to be finalised by Wednesday, the Champions Hockey League Playoffs are around the corner! But before we get there, there's one important thing that needs to be done to bridge the gap between these two phases - the CHL Playoff Draw.
The 2021/22 Playoff Draw will take place two days after the Group Stage ends, on Friday 15 October. The draw begins at 12:00 CEST in Zurich (SUI) and will be streamed live across all the CHL digital platforms.
16 teams will enter the Playoff Draw - the eight group winners and eight runners-up. The group winners are all placed into Pot A and the runners-up into Pot B.
Teams from Pot A will be randomly drawn against teams from Pot B. The only rule to remember is that teams that played each other during the Group Stage cannot play each other in the first Playoff round. However, national clashes are possible.
The draw will not only produce the Round of 16 pairings but also determine each team’s position in the Playoff tree, showing their potential path all the way to the Final.
If this wasn't clear enough for you, maybe this explainer video can help fill in any gaps!
The Playoff Draw will be conducted by CHL CEO Martin Baumann and Martin Gerber, former Swiss national team player and Stanley Cup winner with experience from the Swiss National League, the SHL and the KHL – a man who knows what it takes to beat the best.
The line-up will be completed with two more guests who will join virtually: Thomas Koch, a legendary KAC Klagenfurt player who – on his fourth participation - qualified with his team for the CHL Playoffs for the very first time, as well as Björn Hellqvist, Head Coach of Leksands IF, Swedish CHL newcomers who delivered an impressive debut on the European stage.
Tune in later this week for more information regarding which teams made the final 16 and seeding.