With Game Days 1-4 behind us, join us for a look back the top three surprises across the first part of the 2023/24 season!
Rouen beat Skellefteå
One of the biggest surprises of Game Days 1-4 wasn't a player doing exceptionally well, but the Rouen Dragons beating established Swedish side Skellefteå AIK on their home ice.
The 1-0 game saw Francis Perron score for the French in the opening period as Rouen held off a staggering 64 shots to take a shutout win in Scandinavia against all odds.
The three points for Rouen meant they ended the September CHL games in 20th position, four spots shy of a place in the Playoffs.
Nicholas Baptiste
Tappara Tampere are among the top teams in the CHL heading into Game Days 5 and 6 and a big reason why is former Ilves Tampere forward Nicholas Baptiste.
Baptiste is currently riding a four-game point streak, and his four goals pace all Tappara players. The former AHLer also has two assists through four games.
The 28-year-old is experiencing his first taste of CHL hockey and has been a huge boon to the Finns' forward corps as his six points are tied for first in team scoring with Carter Camper.
In their outing with the Aalborg Pirates, Baptiste secured both goals - the second an OT winner - to help propel his club to their first win of the season.
Peter Čerešňák
Peter Čerešňák is enjoying a breakout season in his fifth CHL appearance and first with Dynamo Pardubice. The Slovakian defenceman has secured six points – all assists – through four contests, improving upon his best performance, 2019/20’s two-point effort, and positioning him fifth in scoring among defencemen.
He’s also logging the most minutes among Pardubice's blueliners with 22:23 TOI and is utilised in all situations. Through four contests, Čerešňák has accumulated three of his six assists while on the man-advantage.
The 30-year-old's 1.50 points per game average have him tied for seventh league wide with his best showing coming against the Stavanger Oilers where he generated two assists on the powerplay.