It was a long and twisty road in the Champions Hockey League for Finnish side Tappara Tampere this season but they finally got their hands on the elusive European Trophy and first title of Champions of Europe!
The eight-time participants of Europe's elite club ice hockey competition slayed some big teams along the way, scored some important goals and won all-or-nothing games, but their path wasn't always an easy one - here's a look back at the making of a new CHL Champion, part two.
You can read all about how they fared in the first phase of the season here.
Following a heated Quarter-Finals matchup with HC Davos, Tappara's season was about to get even tougher, as they were bound to face the team that ended their spectacular season in the all-or-nothing final game of the season - Rögle Ängelholm.
Not only was this a special two-game series for Tappara, offering them a chance of redemption not even a year after that disappointing night in the Catena Arena, it was also a chance for Rögle to prove for a second time that they had what it takes to slay a team of Tappara's caliber.
The duel was also an extra special one for Tappara's Valtteri Kemiläinen, who was on the opposite side of the bench the last time these two teams met.
In what was a closely-contested game, Rögle beat Tappara 3-2 in the First Game to take a one-goal lead into the Return Game of their Quarter-Finals series. The Swedes scored three in the first half of regulation before a third-period comeback by reigning Liiga champions Tappara kept them in the series.
This was quite a blow for the Finns who played a very solid game against their Swedish nemesis, but it forced them to double down on their mistakes and keep focus for the Return Game the following week - and that really paid off.
In front of a buzzing Nokia Arena, Tappara beat Rögle for the very first time in the CHL to secure a place in the Semi-Finals, eliminating the reigning CHL Champions with a big 5-1 win. The memorable occasion saw the whole team come together with Christian Heljanko pulling off some great saves and Veli-Matti Savinainen, Jori Lehterä and Kristian Tanus all racking up three points on the night.
If one thing is sure in the CHL, it's that it certainly doesn't get easier as you progress through the rounds. The Semi-Finals saw Tappara face a European giant in EV Zug from Switzerland - a team that has qualified for each and every CHL season since the inaugural season of 2014/15 alongside Tappara.
The two CHL veterans clashed for only the third season in their CHL history. The First Game was played in Tampere and saw Heljanko record his fourth shutout of 2022/23 in a game that the home team dominated from start to finish, earning the Finns a two-goal lead into their Return Game in Switzerland the following week.
The Return Game, a high-paced game packed full of action, saw the Swiss side do their absolute best to secure their place in the Final but ultimately Tappara's consistent defending, solid goaltending and patience across the two legs proved superior, as the Finnish club moved on to the Final for a second season in a row.
The 2023 CHL Final would prove to be the toughest challenge yet for Tappara who would battle it out with undefeated Luleå Hockey in Sweden. Luleå were awarded the hosting right for the ultimate game of the season due to their superior points record throughout the season, inviting all of Europe to the snowy seaside town in Northern Sweden.
Tickets were sold out quickly, with 700 hundred or so Tappara fans making the journey north to support the team in orange and blue.
And the game itself? It did not disappoint – Tappara took an early two-goal lead, scoring both goals within the first seven minutes - a perfect start.
The game then slowed down a bit, giving Luleå fans enough time to regain consciousness. But the next goal of the game would once again go to the Finns who added their third of the night at the very start of the final frame, before the floodgates burst open when Luleå launched an all-out frenzy.
"THE LAST 10 MINUTES WERE TOTAL PANIC"Tappara's Valtteri Kemiläinen
The result of this last-ditch attempt saw the Swedes score two thanks to captain Erik Gustafsson and Juhani Tyrväinen, who brought a ray of hope to their side, but a rock-solid Heljanko in net and Tappara's high stakes defending saw the Finns hold on just long enough to lift the European Trophy high into the air.
But Tappara’s amazing night didn’t end there. Back home, over 1,000 fans had been watching their team in the Final, holding their breath every time they lost sight of the puck and praying to all gods to keep the scoreline as it stood, and once the final buzzer sounded, marking the end of another season of the pan-European competition, they were determined to wait long into the night for the arrival of the new European Club Champions.
And that they did. Sometime later that evening, the plane carrying the victorious team landed in Tampere and players, fans, coaches, staff and the whole city celebrated like champions - magical moments.