"Bern will be a great challenge for us in the CHL-playoffs, they have a strong team, but so do we!"Stefan Nilsson (General Manager, Luleå Hockey)
Former CHL winners Luleå Hockey will have to face a tricky clash against Swiss giants SC Bern if they wish to reclaim the European Trophy for the first time since 2014/15. This will be the first CHL encounter between these teams.
Former champions Luleå made the playoffs after a two-year absence from the Champions Hockey League, topping Group C with just one loss to their name coming in their opening game as the Augsburger Panther claimed victory in a shootout. Since then they’ve picked up five straight victories heading into the playoffs.
Defenseman Nils Lundkvist was an assist machine in the group stage, supplying six helpers. At just 19-years-old it’s been a superb first CHL campaign for the New York Rangers prospect. While Lundkvist is providing the assists, Petter Emanuelsson is the leading goal scorer for Luleå with four goals in six games, adding two assists to go into the next round on a point-per-game pace.
Perennial Champions Hockey League Playoff side SC Bern came through a very tough group to reach this stage, but had to wait until the last Game Day to make sure they were through. Beating Grenoble, and other results going the way they did, meant that Group E ended with a three-way tie for two Playoff places. SCB have made this stage four seasons in a row, and with two Quarter-Final appearances in three seasons they know what it takes to go deep into the European season.
Eight points in the Group Stage makes Mark Arcobello one of the top performers in the Champions Hockey League so far, while teammate Niklas Schlegel has turned away over 96% of shots he's faced in four games.
"We have played against some Swedish teams at CHL before and know that it will be a difficult task. But we're looking forward to it."Rolf Bachmann (COO, SC Bern)