Just last week, we looked back on the inaugural Champions Hockey League Final in 2014/15, which saw Luleå Hockey snatch glory from the grasp of the Frölunda Indians. Now, we jump forward one year, as the two Swedish giants faced off in the Quarter-Finals of the CHL’s 2015/16 season, leading to one of the greatest games in CHL history.
Game One of the Quarter-Final clash, which was played in Luleå, saw the home team jump out to a 3-2 advantage thanks to a late Christopher Mastomäki goal. At that time, Frölunda coach Roger Rönnberg was critical of his side’s performance.
“I believe in this team and to be honest we can't play much worse than we did today. We have to ransack ourselves with a lot of stuff, but we'll go home and play much better on home ice next week!” Rönnberg said.
Heading into the return game one week later at the Frölundaborg, the Indians were clearly out for revenge.
"Of course we want revenge on them, but I think we're going to take it simply as a game and not try to think so much about last year, but of course it's going to be a little bit of revenge if we win,” Frölunda defenceman Oscar Fantenberg said at the time.
The return leg turned out to be a game for the ages. Both teams traded goals in a back-and-forth game. After a 2-2 opening frame, the two sides traded goals just 11 seconds apart at the start of the second period.
The Indians would edge ahead through markers from the aforementioned Fantenberg and Spencer Abbott in the second frame to give the home side a one-goal aggregate lead heading into the final period of regulation.
A goal by Lulea’s Johan Harju in the 47th minute brought the tie level, and it would stay that way for the rest of the third period. In overtime, no team could find the back of the net, leading to a thrilling shootout, which saw Frölunda eventually emerge victorious.
Following the defeat in the previous season’s Final, the Indians made a concerted effort to strengthen their roster. Ahead of the 2015/16 season, high-scoring defenceman Henrik Tömmernes joined the club, as did the aforementioned Abbott, who went on to score 13 points in 11 CHL games. US star Ryan Lasch was also looking to hit the ground running after joining from TPS Turku at the back end of the previous season.
Some of Luleå’s key contributors to their CHL title victory, including Kristian Näkyvä and the Abbott twins, Chris and Cam, had moved on after the 2014/15 season, although the club was boosted by the signings of Toni Rajala and Jacob Micflikier.
Both teams finished top of their respective groups, and while Luleå blew past fellow Swedish rivals Färjestad Karlstad 6-1 on aggregate in the Round of 32, Frölunda were pushed to the limit by ERC Ingolstadt.
The German side took a 4-2 win at home in the first leg and kept their noses in front in the return leg until the 59th minute, when Lukas Bengtsson brought the tie level. Lasch would go on to score the overtime winner to send the Indians through to the Quarter-Finals, giving his team the chance of avenging last season’s loss in the Final.