JYVÄSKYLÄ – With only three seasons in the books, most Champions Hockey League teams don't have a clear view of each other. However, excitement can be found when some of the players meet their old teams. One such occurrence is in Group C, where Jarkko Immonen is getting the chance to play against his old teammates from EV Zug tonight.

Immonen played his first full season with men at the age of 16 in 1998/99, representing SaPKo in the second tier of the Finnish league system. His breakthrough to the top level came four years later when Immonen joined JYP. Since then, that team has remained an important part of Immonen's career. After a spell in North America, where he played 20 games for the New York Rangers, Immonen returned to Jyväskylä and was a key player when the team took its first Finnish title in 2009. Now, he's making his second comeback to the team.

Immonen played the past two seasons in Zug, Switzerland. Coincidentally, the team was drawn into the same group with his current team, JYP, along with the Austrian champion Vienna Capitals and Belarusian champs Neman Grodno.

“In one way, I was thinking before the Draw that meeting them would be great. And then it happened … It will be a great game against them.”

Immonen has positive memories from his time in Zug.

“It was great to see Swiss hockey. They have very good atmosphere in the arenas and the game, in general, is very fast. It was a great experience as a player and Switzerland is otherwise a great country, too.”

Immonen doesn't believe he is being asked too much by the coaching staff to get inside information about tonight’s opponents.

“Maybe I will be asked something, but the coaching staff has seen some games as well, so they know the key points. I don't think there's any surprising information that they don't know.”

As for the other teams, Immonen doesn't know that much. During his KHL years, he met Belarusian team Dinamo Minsk, and he was also part of the Finnish national team at the 2014 World Championships in that city. However, Grodno is a completely different team in a different city.

“I have visited in Minsk, but I don't have any information about that team. But I'm sure we will get something before the games and it's always pleasing to meet new teams.”

Before the Champions Hockey League started, JYP played just two exhibition games, winning them both. Interviewed after the first game, Immonen didn't see that as a problem for the upcoming season.

“I like that we have had more time to practice. Other teams may have played more games and it may show in the early games, but in the long run, I think it's better like this.”