Alexander Rauchenwald

Rauchenwald has continued in his father’s (as well as his uncle’s) shoes by donning the same Villach SV sweater that they did during their playing careers. At 29 years old, the Villach-native has spent a majority of his time in his homeland and has compiled 151 games in the ICE and is a two-time champion with Red Bull Salzburg. The centreman also has 34 CHL games to his name which he’s accrued over five campaigns.

János Hári

Born in Budapest, Hári has been a journeyman since his junior years. The Hungarian began in Sweden where he played until 2013/14. He then moved to Finland for a single season before returning to the Swedish scene. After spending three more years in Scandanavia, Hári returned to Hungary where he joined Fehérvár AV19 for the 2017/18 campaign. Two years later, he joined the Lahti Pelicans, skating in five CHL matches and managing to score three points. The forward returned to Fehérvár the next season and in 2021/22 was named captain of the club.

Frans Tuohimaa

The Finnish goalie couldn’t ask for a much better 2022. In the span of a few months, Tuohimaa achieved two gold medals with his national team – one at the Olympics and another at the IIHF World Championships in May. This season, the 188 cm, 87 kg netminder will be skating with newcomers Jukurit Mikkeli in his second CHL appearance. His first came with SaiPa Lappeenranta in 2016/17 where he suited up for two games and managed a 2.50 GAA and a .930 SV%.

Eemeli Suomi

Considered to be a cornerstone of Ilves Tampere, Suomi assumed the captaincy during the 2018/19 season and has played the part exceedingly well since. The 26-year-old from Tampere was born and bred on Ilves hockey and has tremendous respect for the organisation. Last season Suomi led the club in points with 49 (19G,30A) in 54 games, and also posted nine points in 14 playoff games as he helped his club reach the Semi-Finals and an eventual bronze medal.

Dustin Jeffrey

Jeffrey is no stranger to winning, having hoisted the Spengler Cup twice (2016/17, 2019/20) and, more recently, the Swiss Cup with SC Bern in 2020/21. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the centreman played over 467 games at both AHL and NHL level before landing with Lausanne HC in 2016/17. In 2019/20, Jeffrey played with the Swiss side in its inaugural CHL campaign where they progressed to the Quarter-Finals. The Canadian played six seasons in Switzerland before being acquired by Grizzlys Wolfsburg. At 34, he brings invaluable experience to a club looking to improve upon their past CHL performances.

Emil Djuse

The Rapperswil-Jona Lakers have themselves an offensive-minded defenceman in Djuse. The 28-year-old Swede does some of his best work on the powerplay and has a talent for breakout passes. He’s played for a host of Swedish clubs, including CHL alums Frölunda Gothenburg and Skellefteå AIK, and has appeared in 22 CHL contests. Looking ahead at the 2022/23 campaign, Djuse will be entering his sophomore season with the Lakers following a successful debut which saw him compile 28 points (7G, 21A) in 48 contests.

Žiga Pance

Pance is a hero to the Ljubljanan public. He’s competed with the club on and off since 2004/05 and has represented Slovenia’s national team twice at the Olympics. The winger has also suited up for over 600 ICE games and won the championship with HC Bolzano in 2013/14. Pance returned to Olimpija Ljubljana in 2020/21 and was named captain that same year, a year in which he brought the Alps Hockey League title back to his hometown. Olimpija’s qualification for the 2022/23 CHL will mark Pance’s second go-round in the competition and with it a chance to broadcast Slovenian hockey to new audiences.