Most European leagues get started tonight if not over this weekend, and a couple have already begun. While many of the established teams in those leagues will be at the forefront of the race to qualify for the 2018/19 Champions Hockey League, there are also a handful of new teams to some leagues as well.

Be it by promotion, or buying a franchise, we take a look at the teams who are now also in with a chance of European Qualification - some for the first time.

Austria - EBEL

Medveščak Zagreb rejoin the Austrian top flight after four seasons in the KHL. Playing out of the 5,000 capacity Dom Sportova, Medveščak were strong in their previous stint in the EBEL, making the semi-finals in two of their four seasons there - and never missing out on the post-season.

Czech Republic

Dukla Jihlava were promoted back to the Czech Extraliga last season having been relegated in the 2004/05 season. With 12 Czech titles to their name, they jointly hold the record for the most titles with Kometa Brno. The team has played at the Horácký zimní stadion since it was founded in 1956 and are one of the most famous names from the past in Czech hockey.

Denmark

After spending four years outside the Danish top flight, Hvidovre Fighters return to the top level of hockey in the country. The team from the Hvidovre Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen has played under various guides in the past 10 years but was unable to make it past the quarter-finals of the Metal Ligaen in their last stint in the league.

France

Outside the French top flight for four seasons, Les Scorpions de Mulhouse won promotion back to the Ligue Magnus last season, losing only five games in the regular season on the way. The team won the title in 2004/05 before being relegated down to the four tier due to bankruptcy. This is only their second season in the top league since.

Great Britain

Guildford Flames and Milton Keynes Lighting play their first-ever seasons at the top level of hockey in the UK after both having their franchises accepted into the Elite League last season. The teams took part in the now-defunct English Premier League before then, with MK taking the play-off championship. Both sides have predominantly played at the second tier in the UK for the majority of their existence, but are both well-supported in their respective cities.

Slovakia

HC07 Detva play their first-ever season in the Slovak Extraliga after moving up over the summer.  The team won the league below in two of the past three seasons. The league has so far been dominated in past years by Banská Bystrica, Košice, and Nitra - will a new team make a way through?

Sweden

Mora IK fell out of the SHL in 2008, and have not been back since. Last season they won the Allsvenskan regular season and then came through the promotion-relegation round to finally get back up to the country's top league. In their last stint in the SHL, the club from the middle of Sweden made the quarter-finals in two straight seasons before being relegated the year after.