Tappara Tampere have almost done it all in recent seasons. Before last season, the team had made six straight Liiga finals, and won the most recent two of them. Last year they picked up the bronze medal, and so far this campaign they've won 15 of 17 games!
One thing however has eluded them. To date, Tappara have never been past the Round of 16 in the Champions Hockey League despite five seasons of trying. This time they’ll face Swiss giants EV Zug for a place in the next round.
To be fair to Tappara, they have faced some pretty tough opposition in the Round of 16. In the first CHL season they lost out to Frölunda 9-3 on aggregate after winning their group. A year later after winning the group again, and getting through the Round of 32, they were knocked out by then defending champions Luleå 6-2. In the 2016/17 season it was a defeat to countrymen SaiPa in the Round of 32, while the next year JYP Jyväskylä won the Liiga battle in the Round of 16 5-4 on aggregate en route to winning the title.
The woes continued last season with defeat to Kometa Brno after a disastrous 5-1 defeat in the Czech Republic in the first leg in – however both recent seasons have seen Tappara win their group with 15 points from a possible 18!
“EV Zug are a quality team on and off the ice, and doing very well in the Swiss National League.”Mikko Leionen (General Manager, Tappara Tampere)
Breaking the curse this season will have to be done the hard way. Tappara finished as Runners-Up in their group, and as such come up against seeded EV Zug who won their group ahead of last season's Semi-Finalists HC Pilsen.
Fate is an odd thing sometimes, and perhaps going through the ‘harder route’ unseeded may be fruitful for them this time around? If not, another early-Playoff exit will extend their unwanted CHL record for a sixth straight year. It would also be a disappointment for Finland in the League Ranking, who have only Tappara left in the competition in the Last 16.