Champions Hockey League's Field Of 24 Teams For 2025-26 Complete
With KalPa Kuopio winning the championship of Finland's Liiga this past weekend, the field of 24 teams that will compete in the 2025-26 Champions Hockey League season is now complete.
Of the 24 spots, 19 go to members of the six founding leagues from Austria, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The champions of these six leagues, plus the top two or three teams in their regular seasons qualify. The defending European champion – in this case, the ZSC Lions from Zurich – automatically qualify, giving a fourth qualification spot from that league.
The remaining five spots are given to the champions of designated 'challenger' leagues. Here are the 24 teams that have qualified:
Switzerland (National League): ZSC Lions Zurich (CHL champion & league champion), Lausanne HC (regular season 1st place), SC Bern (regular season 3rd place), EV Zug (regular season 4th place).
Austria (ICE Hockey League): Red Bull Salzburg (league champion), KAC Klagenfurt (regular season 1st place), Bolzano Foxes (Italy; regular season 3rd place).
Czechia (Extraliga): Kometa Brno (league champion), Sparta Prague (regular season 1st place), Mountfield Hradec Králové (regular season 2nd place).
Finland (Liiga): KalPa Kuopio (league champion), Lukko Rauma (regular season 1st place), Ilves Tampere (regular season 2nd place).
Germany (DEL): Eisbären Berlin (league champion), ERC Ingolstadt (regular season 1st place) Pinguins Bremerhaven (regular season 3rd place).
Sweden (SHL): Luleå Hockey (league champion), Brynäs Gävle (regular season 1st place), Frölunda Gothenburg (regular season 3rd place)
Challenger leagues: Odense Bulldogs (Denmark), Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble (France), Storhamar Dragons (Norway), GKS Tychy (Poland), Belfast Giants (EIHL)
The 2025-26 CHL season begins on Aug. 28 and will conclude with the one-game final on March 3. The game dates for the season have already been released but the exact schedule will be announced after the draw, which will be held May 21 in Stockholm, on the off-day between the group stage and playoffs of the IIHF World Championship.
Zurich Lions Win Champions Hockey League Final – Back-To-Back Titles For Switzerland
Zurich Lions Win Champions Hockey League Final – Back-To-Back Titles For Switzerland For the second year in a row, a Swiss team has defeated a Swedish team in the Champions Hockey League final. On their home ice, the ZSC Lions defeated visiting Färjestad 2-1 before a sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hojgaard tied for 12th after first round of British Masters in bid to get into Ryder Cup team
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Rasmus Hojgaard shot a 3-under 69 in the first round of the British Masters on Thursday as the Danish golfer started his bid to clinch an automatic place on Europe's team for the Ryder Cup. Hojgaard needs to finish in a two-way tie for 29th or better in the tournament being held at The Belfry to earn enough points to overtake Shane Lowry, who is clinging onto sixth place in the list of automatic qualifiers. Hojgaard is currently in a tie with five other players — including his twin brother, Nicolai — for 12th place, three shots off the lead shared by Marcel Siem, Li Haotong, Matthias Schwab and Thomas Aiken. The top six get into the European team automatically. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton are already guaranteed to be at next month's matches at Bethpage Black. Lowry is not competing in the British Masters. Luke Donald will announce his six captain's picks to complete the 12-man team on Sept. 1. ___
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bayern Munich missed out on 'top player' as Toni Kroos says he's 'hurt' by midfielder's Saudi Arabia transfer
Kroos said Bayern missed out on signing Millot Bavarians reportedly declined due to attitude concerns French midfielder joined Al-Ahli for €30m Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 WHAT HAPPENED? Former Real Madrid midfielder Kroos used his podcast to criticise Bayern's transfer strategy, focusing on Millot's summer move. The 23-year-old midfielder left Stuttgart for €30 million (£25m/$33m) to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, despite being available to Bayern for just €20m (£17m/$22m) via a release clause only for European teams, according to Bild. Kroos praised Millot as 'a top player' and claimed the Bavarians missed a big opportunity to strengthen their squad. THE BIGGER PICTURE Bayern are under scrutiny for failing to bolster their midfield depth, with both Kroos and Harry Kane voicing concerns over the thin squad. Millot was reportedly offered to the Bundesliga champions before the Saudi move, but the club declined due to doubts over his attitude. Several European clubs, including Atletico Madrid, were also interested, making Bayern's refusal stand out even more. WHAT TONI KROOS SAID The 2014 World Cup winner used his podcast 'Einfach mal Luppen' to reflect on Bayern's transfer approach, pointing out a major opportunity they let slip. "I would have signed him if I were Bayern. Millot is truly a very, very good player. He was crucial at VfB. A top player," said Kroos. "That hurt me a bit. He'll probably line his pockets for two years and then come back and see what he can do. He's a very good player with a straightforward decision. I was annoyed." WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN? Millot has signed a three-year deal with Al-Ahli, where he earns around €10m (£8m/$11m) net annually. For Bayern, the pressure grows to address their squad depth and avoid more missed opportunities in upcoming transfer windows, as they prepare to kick off their Bundesliga campaign against RB Leipzig this weekend.
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Rasmus Hojgaard tied for 12th at British Masters in bid to secure European Ryder Cup spot
Todd Lewis catches up with Keegan Bradley about the budding chemistry between members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team and how he plans to make captain picks before Golf Central debates the top candidates in front of him. BIRMINGHAM, England — Rasmus Hojgaard shot a 3-under 69 in the first round of the Betfred British Masters on Thursday as the Danish golfer started his bid to clinch an automatic place on Europe's team for the Ryder Cup. Hojgaard needs to finish in a two-way tie for 29th or better in the tournament being held at The Belfry to earn enough points to overtake Shane Lowry, who is clinging onto sixth place in the list of automatic qualifiers. Hojgaard is currently in a tie with five other players — including his twin brother, Nicolai — for 12th place, three shots off the lead shared by Marcel Siem, Haotong Li, Matthias Schwab and Thomas Aiken. The top six get into the European team automatically. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton are already guaranteed to be at next month's matches at Bethpage Black. Lowry is not competing in the British Masters. Luke Donald will announce his six captain's picks to complete the 12-man team on Sept. 1.
