Sparta Prague and Skellefteå AIK are two teams with a fair bit of history in the Champions Hockey League but not against each other. This is Sparta’s first CHL adventure since their run to the Final in 2016/17. In three CHL seasons, they had four Playoff ties against Swedish clubs, winning two and losing two, including the aforementioned Final in overtime to Frölunda Gothenburg. Skellefteå, despite once making the Semi-Finals and another time the Quarters, have never faced a Czech club in the knockout stages.

It’s rare that Skellefteå have an easy time of travelling, even in their domestic Swedish Hockey League, being situated so far north. They will open up this two-game Round of 16 matchup on home ice with Sparta making the trek north. In their CHL history, Sparta have never lost in regulation time in six previous games in Sweden. The rematch a week later will be in the Czech capital, by virtue of Sparta winning their group. In their only previous visit to the Czech Republic, Skellefteå beat Bílí Tygři Liberec 4-0 back in the 2015/16 Group Stage.

Skellefteå played a run-and-gun style in the Group Stage but have been one of the best defensive teams in the SHL this season. On the other hand, only two teams conceded fewer goals than Sparta in the CHL Group Stage, but have lived and died by offence in the Extraliga. Clearly, both teams can play both ways so this looks like a matchup where we can expect almost anything and neither side would go in as a prohibitive favourite.