Ice hockey fans have plenty to cheer about: the Champions Hockey League (CHL) is back. From this evening, 24 teams from across Europe will battle for points, prestige, and a place in the grand final in March 2026. For Czech sides, the opening fixtures promise some exciting matchups—most notably Sparta Prague, who begin their campaign with an away game in Austria.
Today, the puck drops in six arenas to mark the start of the CHL 2025/26 season. All eyes from the Czech Republic are on Klagenfurt, where HC Sparta Prague—winners of last season’s Extraliga regular season – take to the ice first. The face-off is scheduled for 20:20 against the Austrian side KAC.
Tomorrow, the remaining Czech teams join the fray. Champions HC Kometa Brno host Swedish outfit Brynäs IF, while Hradec Králové face Denmark’s Odense Bulldogs.
Defending CHL champions ZSC Lions of Zürich return to defend their title, having narrowly beaten Sweden’s Färjestad Karlstad 2–1 in last year’s final.
The season officially begins on Thursday, 28 August, at 19:00 CEST, with two opening fixtures: Luleå Hockey vs EV Zug and Storhamar Hamar vs Eisbären Berlin.
Czech teams’ opening fixtures:
- 28.08.2025 – KAC Klagenfurt vs Sparta Prague
- 29.08.2025 – Mountfield HK vs Odense Bulldogs
- 29.08.2025 – Kometa Brno vs Brynäs IF
CHL 2025/26 Format Overview
The CHL regular season follows the same structure as recent years. Each of the 24 teams faces six different opponents. All teams are ranked in a single table from 1st to 24th, with every point potentially crucial – either for securing a playoff spot or gaining a seeding advantage in the knockout stage.
The top 16 teams progress to the playoffs, with matchups determined by overall standings: 1st vs 16th, 2nd vs 15th, and so on. The knockout phase spans four rounds. The first three are played over two legs, with the aggregate score deciding the winner, while the season culminates in a single final on 3 March 2026.
Champions Hockey League
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