For the Cardiff Devils, it’s another season with a trip to Sweden in their fourth Champions Hockey League campaign, as they take on Färjestad Karlstad in the Round of 32 who haven’t made it past the first knockout round in their four previous seasons.
Färjestad return for a fifth CHL season on the back of two great years domestically, winning the SHL regular season last year and finishing as runners up this year behind previous CHL champions Luleå Hockey.
"As a club we want to compete every day. We want to play hockey as long as possible and go as far as we can.” Färjestad Head Coach Johan Pennerborn said after being drawn against Cardiff.
"We don’t know that much about our opponents, but what we do know is that their last campaign in the Champions Hockey League was a good one.”Johan Pennerborn (Head Coach, Färjestad Karlstad)
"They were top of the group at an early stage and just missed out on the Playoffs. We know we’re in for a battle. On the other hand, it will be nice to visit and play hockey in Cardiff. We as a club have never been there before so that will be a new experience."
Cardiff on the other hand return for a fourth straight season. Despite not being named champions of the Elite Ice Hockey League that was cancelled late in the regular season, the Devils were in top spot and looking to go for their third league title in the last four seasons.
“Our group last season had the two eventual finalists in it and we held our own in that group. We were very close to doing last year until we came up against Frölunda,” Andrew Lord explained following the draw.
“It will be a great honor to get to play against such a storied franchise as Färjestad. They have an impressive history of success and we are looking forward to seeing their great city and their incredible fans.”
The CHL offers a unique opportunity for fans of the competing clubs to see other countries, cities and arenas, and that is something that the Cardiff Devils have really enjoyed in their previous campaigns.
“For our club and our fans, competing in the CHL has created some of our best memories in recent years." Lord recalled.
"Competing against the best in Europe has been a lot of fun and also a great challenge at times. We have improved every season and especially last season felt we really belonged and could compete with these other leagues."
“Our fans have embraced the CHL and travel in big numbers to our away games. It has become an annual trip for many and I am sure they are already looking into travel plans for visiting Karlstad in October.”Head Coach Andrew Lord on Devils fans embracing the CHL
For Färjestad, the CHL offers an opportunity to really prove themselves as one of the top outfits European hockey has to offer.
"We as a club want to be there among the best in every competition we enter, so the CHL means a lot for us as a team and a club." Pennerborn explained.
"I know there are a lot of fans who got excited when we drew Cardiff, and we all hope that we can play these games as they should be played – in front of the fans. But we all know what is going around in the world and we just have to take it in the best possible way. But we can always hope and dream".
With a new format to contend with this season, going straight into a knockout round, both teams know they'll have to be fresh right from the start to have the best chance at progressing to the next round.
Johan Pennerborn explained "One thing it brings is that you have to be sharp from the start. If you play six games in a group stage you can alter things as the group goes along and still make it. Now you have one game away and one at home, that’s it. If you fail, you’re out, it gives it some edge from the start."
Andrew Lord shared that sentiment by saying “This format will certainly make it interesting for every team and in a two-game series, anything can happen. Almost every series looks like it could go either way and teams are going to have to bring their best right away because there will be no room to make up points later in the competition like there usually is.”