The Vienna Capitals will kickstart their seventh Champions Hockey League season with a knockout duel against Swiss side HC Davos.
Davos, who return to the CHL after a two-year absence, qualified thanks to their third-place finish in the regular season of the Swiss National League, while the Capitals are amongst the three qualified ICE Hockey League teams for 2020/21.
“HC Davos are a very tough opponent,” was Vienna Head Coach Dave Cameron’s reaction to the Draw. “Being 31-time Swiss Champions and winning the Spengler Cup 15 times says it all.”
Despite neither team being a stranger to the CHL, they have never faced each other on the ice. Yet both teams know of each other and respect each other’s quality.
“We will play against the Vienna Capitals from the EBEL, which is a good league. Purely in terms of talent, we are probably the favourites, but we know that talent and being the favourite is not always an advantage,” said Davos Head Coach Christian Wohlwend.
Everyone is extremely excited about this experienceHC Davos Head Coach Christian Wohlwend
Christian Wohlwend, who is entering his second season in charge of Davos after taking over from long-term coach Arno Del Curto, has big boots to fill. His predecessor spent the previous 22 years at the club winning six championships over the years. Wohlwend has countless years of experience with the best Swiss hockey players from his time working with the junior and men’s squads of the Swiss national team both as an Assistant Coach and partly as Head Coach and he has utilised his knowledge to return a struggling Davos team back into Europe’s elite hockey league.
“I have never had the opportunity to play in the CHL, so I don't care if we have a Group Stage or direct knockout games. Of course, group matches would have been a good experience for all our players and the staff,” Wohlwend said when asked about the necessary format changes implemented for 2020/21.
The CHL offers a great chance for my team to measure with the best clubs in EuropeVienna Capitals Head Coach Dave Cameron
His counterpart Dave Cameron, who unlike Wohlwend has already tested his strengths in the CHL twice, is an NHL veteran with seven years’ worth of NHL coaching experience with both the Ottawa Senators, where he spent one and a half seasons as Head Coach, and with the Calgary Flames, has a similar view on the matter: “You have to play every game full 60 minutes hockey. That’s the challenge. On the other side, everything can happen within two games.”
Both clubs have featured in a combined ten CHL seasons, Davos having previously made it as far as the Semi-Finals back in their first-ever season in 2015/16, before exiting to eventual Champions the Frölunda Indians. They have struggled ever since and during their last stint in 2017/18, they failed to make it out of the Group Stage altogether.
Despite the Capitals having featured in all past CHL seasons, they have failed to make it out of the Group Stage for four seasons now. With the necessary format changes this year, Vienna are just two games away from equalling their previous best from the inaugural season of 2014/15, when they made it to the Round of 16. Will this be their year? Or will a returning Davos side prove their strength on the ice and advance?