A spectacular end to a milestone season in the Champions Hockey League ended only a few weeks ago when Genève-Servette beat Skellefteå AIK 3-2 in CHL Final 2024, sending the European Trophy to Switzerland for the very first time since the inaugural 2014/15 season of our pan-European competition!
But that was just the culmination of an action-packed year across the board in which we saw many players really rise to the occasion and hold their teams when the going got tough. Unfortunately, our Team of the Season for 2023/24 only has six spots, so here's our pick of the truly best!
Goaltender | Jussi Olinuora
You don't become a two-time CHL Champion by chance and Jussi Olkinuora's years of experience have made him a formidable opponent between the posts. The 33-year-old took over goaltending duties for Genève-Servette in mid-December and played in four CHL games for the Swiss since then. His most impressive display was in the Final where he was paramount in riding out an intense late surge from Skellefteå AIK to win the game. His stats, most importantly a 91%+ save average, may not tell the entire story but trust us, he's the right man for the job.
Defenceman | Sami Vatanen
Newly-crowned CHL Champion Sami Vatanen of Genève-Servette is a must on this Team of the Season. The 32-year-old blue-liner absolutely dominated this season's leaderboards and was unsurprisingly voted LGT MVP by not just you, the fans, but also by our expert jury. His 12 points in 13 games, consistent average of nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game, mix of big hits, blocked shots and assists make this ex-NHLer the ideal play-starter on this team of the very best.
Defenceman | Tarmo Reunanen
Lukko Rauma's Tarmo Reunanen fills in the second spot on the blue line of our Team of the Season. The speedy 25-year-old made plays in all situations this season, picking up a very respectable ten points (4G, 6A) in 11 games played. Aside from his stellar numbers, Reunanen, a New York Rangers draftee back in 2016, has impressed us with his consistency. He hasn't had any crazy games (though a four-point night on Game Day 2 really was something special) but he's been there when he's needed to and has been solid both on the rush and in his own zone - the perfect two-way defenceman!
Forward | Dominik Lakatoš
Vítkovice Ridera captain and our 2023/24 LGT Top Scorer Dominik Lakatoš is the perfect point-man and a player you just need to get the puck to and he'll handle the rest up front. With 12 points (7G, 5A) in 11 games, two game-winning goals and four powerplay strikes, Lakatoš has been an outstanding forward and team leader who his teammates have looked to when the going got tough.
Forward | Linus Lindström
26-year-old Linus Lindström may not have ended the 2023/24 season with the European Trophy in his hands, but it was one solid year for the talented sniper. The Skellefteå forward didn't miss a single game for his team and racked up 11 points (6G, 5A) in 13 games and a jaw-dropping +/- of +10! Add in a game-winning goal, a short-handed goal and 30+ shots on net and we've got a rocket of a forward on this Team of the Season!
Forward | Braeden Shaw
Forward Braeden Shaw caught all of us by surprise. Though he's now moved on to play in France, his eight games in the Champions Hockey League for HC Innsbruck were full of exciting skills, unpredictable moves and clinical finishing. The 31-year-old Ottawa native amassed six goals and four assists across his CHL spell this season and is the dream free-flowing forward for this Team of the Season!