Ahead of the start of the upcoming Champions Hockey League season, we asked the Head Coaches of Eisbären Berlin's six Regular Season opponents what their thoughts are on the German team - here's what they had to say!
Växjö Lakers Head Coach Jörgen Jönsson: “Back in the CHL again and again they’re champions of the DEL. Always a team that play good ice hockey. Well coached and with good structure.”
Unia Oświęcim Assistant Coach Krzysztof Majkowski: “Our first home game will be against the German champions. The team is led by Canadian coach Serge Aubin, who has been in charge of the Polar Bears since the 2019/20 season. During his tenure, he has led his club to three gold medals. What do we expect from this team? They will certainly play aggressively and physically. They will force us into mistakes with their forechecking. A key player for the Berlin team is Zach Boychuk who boasts experience from the NHL, AHL and KHL. Leo Pföderl also shows strong productivity, as demonstrated in the recent IIHF World Championship. He accumulated 9 points, matching the totals of Peterka, Stachowiak, and Ehliz.”
Dynamo Pardubice Head Coach Marek Zadina: “Eisbären Berlin has long been one of the best teams in German hockey, they won the championship last season. We faced them in 2023 and it was a close game. I am looking forward to another fight with a quality opponent. We expect aggressive hockey all over the hockey rink.”
Sparta Prague Head Coach Pavel Gross: “We’ve played in Berlin twice during the pre-season last year and they were very good and challenging games. It will be even more challenging in the CHL. I faced Berlin regularly during my time in Germany, it’s a great organisation with the highest goals.”
Fribourg-Gottéron Head Coach Patrick Emond: “Eisbären Berlin finished second in the DEL regular season but amassed over 100 points! From there, the club from Germany’s capital were able to focus and win the title in a formidable Germany. This penultimate match will probably be high stakes.”
SønderjyskE Vojens Head Coach Anders Førster: “They’re a team without any weaknesses. They’ve won the DEL in three out of the last four years. They have a great crowd behind them and I look forward to our away game in Berlin because I think a lot of our fans will follow us.”