The 2020 Champions Hockey League Final is just hours away so for those of you anxiously waiting for the clock to finally strike 18:45 CET, we’ve prepared a flashback to previous CHL Finals to fill in the time.
2015 Final
The inaugural 2014/15 season of the CHL saw 44 teams battle their way through the Group Stage and elimination rounds before just two Finalists remained – Luleå Hockey and the Frölunda Indians. Frölunda were first to draw blood in the all-Swedish Final thanks to Joel Lundqvist’s goal just 17 seconds into the match and they even managed to go two goals up by the end of the first period. Everything looked under control, but an amazing four-goal comeback from Luleå in the final period shattered Frölunda’s dreams of winning the title, as Luleå were crowned Champions.
2016 Final
The second season of the CHL featured even more teams with 48 in total and with four elimination rounds leading to the Final, there was no room for mistakes. The two teams that lined up for the Final that year were Finnish club Kärpät Oulu and previous finalists Frölunda who were back for revenge. Similarly to the previous final, it was Frölunda who opened the scoring on the night and were two goals ahead by the end of the first period – just like the year before. Luckily for them they didn’t lose their lead and ended up winning 2-1 to earn their first ever CHL title.
2017 Final
The 2016/17 CHL season ended with Frölunda facing Czech side Sparta Prague in the Final. The Swedish club were in their third final in three years, while Sparta became the first non-Scandinavian team to make it that far. The game on Frölunda’s home ice was tied 3-3 in regulation, after Sparta let a lead slip. Both teams geared up for overtime but just one and a half minutes in, Frölunda’s Nicklas Lasu found the back of Tomáš Pöpperle’s net to give Frölunda their second title and leave Sparta players in shock.
2018 Final
The 2017/18 season was the first under the current 32 team format with a four-stage elimination round and is currently the only year a non-Swedish team have won the title. Czech teams were especially strong that year, with both Oceláři Třinec and Bilí Tygři Liberec making the Semi-Finals, while Frölunda exited as early as the Round of 16 – this is the only season the Swedish club haven’t featured in the Final. But in the end it was another all-Nordic final as Finnish team JYP Jyväskylä faced Swedish side Växjö Lakers in the final match of the season. A scoreless opening period kept both teams on edge but with a man advantage in the second period, the Finns utilised the advantage and scored first. They dug deep determined to not concede leaving Växjö no choice but to pull their goaltender in the final minutes of the match. Janne Kolehmainen’s empty-net goal just seconds before the final buzzer finalised the score to 2-0 to win JYP their first and only CHL title.
2019 Final
Last year we saw Frölunda make a dramatic return to winning ways after missing the previous Final to face German side Red Bull Munich, who made their first and only Final appearance by defying the odds in the elimination rounds fighting their way through. Over 12 000 fans gathered in Frölunda’s home arena – the Scandinavium, to witness Frölunda’s 3-1 win over Munich, as the home side lifter their third title in five years to mark themselves as the most successful team in CHL history.
2020 Final
After losing all three of their elimination round first games, Frölunda have shown their true fighting spirit and fought back many times to make the Final yet again. Meanwhile, Czech side Mountfield HK have surprised us all by gliding through the elimination rounds unbeaten. But who will win today? Will Frölunda win for the fourth time or will Mountfield become the first non-Nordic team to lift the European Trophy?
Tune in tonight to see!