Salzburg and Bolzano in the same CHL group

The draw for the Champions Hockey League group stage took place on Wednesday. Austrian champions EC-KAC and EC Red Bull Salzburg have both learned their group opponents. The Salzburg side will encounter some familiar faces in the group stage. In addition to Frisk Asker from Norway and JKH GKS Jastrzebie from Poland, Salzburg will also face league rivals and ICE finalists HC Bozen in Group H.

EC-KAC, champions of the previous ICE Hockey League season, will face Rungsted Ishockey from Denmark, Rouen Dragons from France and HC Donbass Donetsk from Ukraine in Group G.

The upcoming Champions Hockey League season starts on 26 August 2021, with the ICE teams’ first matches not taking place until 2 September due to the upcoming Olympic qualification tournament. The final is scheduled for 1 March 2021.

A total of 125 games will be played. The international competition begins with eight groups of four – the top two teams in each group qualify for the round of sixteen. From then on, the remaining rounds will be played over two legs.