Have you been enjoying reliving iconic Champions Hockey League moments in our Flashback series? We hope so, because this week we’ve lined up another two thrilling games for you to tune in to! Starting us off is a Round of 16 return game between Skellefteå AIK and JYP Jyväskylä from the inaugural 2014/15 season.
Skellefteå entered the newly founded Champions Hockey League off the back of their second domestic Championship in a row. The dominant Swedes started their European campaign with five wins in a row in the Group Stage, only conceding three goals in the process, before finally bowing out to Finnish rivals IFK Helsinki in the final game of the group. Their unmatched run had earned them enough points to top their group and qualify for the Playoffs as one of the top ranked teams in the league!
JYP, Skellefteå’s Round of 16 opponents to be, entered the 2014/15 season as 2013 European Trophy Champions. They won their opening two games of the season, lost their third, but won the remaining three to clench Playoffs qualification and were drawn to face fellow Scandinavians Skellefteå in the opening round.
Both teams first met in an eagerly anticipated first leg in Finland. Skellefteå broke the deadlock seven minutes into the game, but JYP were quick to even the score and even gained the lead thanks to a goal from Éric Perrin. However, it was the second period that really left an impression, as JYP managed to get all the way up to a 5:1 lead in 20 minutes! Skellefteå pulled three back in the third period, but the tie still ended 5:4 in JYP’s favour.
After a very evenly matched first leg it was all to play for in Sweden, but nobody could have predicted just what a dramatic gane the return leg would turn out to be! But which of the two teams ended up making the Quarter-Finals?
Tune in live tonight at 19:00 CET to find out! And don’t forget the popcorn, because this one’s as gripping as they get!