The Champions Hockey League held its annual Club Information Meeting yesterday, focused on helping all participating teams prepare for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
Information about the development of the CHL and a review of the changes for the upcoming season of the competition were presented, as well as information for media & communications managers and prize money allocation.
CHL CEO Martin Baumann opened the meeting with his season review and outlook for 2023/24 followed by a presentation from partner Infront led by Claude Hollenstein, Infront's Head of Ice Hockey and Katie Reyonlds, who shared insight into media sales and distribution.
Tappara Tampere's Director of Business Development & Events, Aki Hautamäki, took to the stage next to share insight into the way Finland's most successful club operate. Apart from winning the CHL, Tappara won the local Tampere Cup, the Finnish championship and also recorded success on junior levels in the past season.
"We want to keep our winning way"Aki Hautamäki, Tappara Tampere
Aki Hautamäki shared information about their state-of-the-art arena - the Nokia Arena.
The 13,000-seater arena opened late in 2021 and is the most modern arena in Europe.
The director of business development and events also noted how important Tappara's junior development programs are and how working with young players is crucial for club development - using the recent transfer of Waltteri Merelä to the NHL as proof of concept.
"It's been a long journey for us in the CHL but we are in for developing European hockey together with them," he also went on to say, before making way for Julianna Kocsis of Fehérvár AV19, the club that became the first Hungarian club to play in the CHL last season.
"One of our key goals was to prove that we, as a Hungarian team, belong among Europe's best - on and off the ice," said Kocsis, adding that all of the club's home games were sold out and season tickets were sold at record rates.
Kocsis went on to speak about how the relatively small club approached the CHL from a fan engagement and media perspective, noting the success of Fehérvár's fans in the 2022/23 CHL Fan Challenge.
Franziska Heigl, Communication Manager, and Pirmin Ostermeier, Member of Executive Board, of last season's CHL participants the Straubing Tigers spoke next, focusing on approaching the European club ice hockey competition as a first-time participant, mentioning merchandising strategies, fan engagement activities and a review of the results.
"Through the CHL we were able to present our club and our city to Europe generating high revenue," said Ostermeier.
Jean-François Dufour, General Manager of Grenoble, took to the stage last, covering his role at the French club and their operations.
"Being in the CHL inspires and challenges us"Jean-François Dufour, General Manager of Grenoble
"The CHL gave us the opportunity to learn new ways to develop our organisation on a sporting and administrative level," said the general manager, adding that networking with Europe's best clubs has given them insight into how to run youth-level operations while learning from the very best around.
"Focusing on other aspects of the CHL is equally important," said Dufour, noting that Grenoble ran business seminars around CHL home games focused on local development, "we can't wait to be back in the CHL in the years to come!"
Last to speak way Yuriy Kyrychenko, Sports Director of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine.
"We're still alive and continuing to work towards the aim of saving hockey in Ukraine," said Kyrychenko, going into detail about the federation’s project 'Ukrainian Hockey Dream'.
The project aims to save hockey in the country, mainly focused on allowing children affected by the war to keep on training and playing in safety.
The 'Hockey Can't Stop Tour', which went to Canada and most recently Belfast, is one of the federation's most notable fundraising projects.
With all past and currently participating CHL clubs present, the CHL Club Information Meeting was the perfect stage for Kyrychenko to ask the clubs: "Who wants to join our efforts and help?"