Dynamo Pardubice Head Coach Filip Pešán: “SaiPa are the bronze medal team of Finland’s Liiga, which is a great success for the team. The club has regularly rached the top of the league in recent years and we are happy to be able to play against such a high-quality opponent.”

HK Nitra Head Coach Erik Caladi: “A very hard-working team that captured bronze, largely thanks to head coach Raimo Helminen. He is a massive personality behind the bench and it will be a true privilege for me to compete against him in this match-up.”

HC Pilsen Head Coach Josef Jandač: “A typical Finnish opponent. Very well organised, disciplined and system-oriented. Against teams like this, you have to be patient and make as few mistakes as possible.”

Frölunda Gothenburg Head Coach Robert Ohlsson: “A well-coached and solid team.”

Herning Blue Fox Head Coach Jason O’leary: “Saipa have been a top team in Finland under Helminen. It will be fun to see how we match up against two good teams from Finland in our first weekend of the CHL.”

Graz99ers Sport Director Philipp Pinter: “They’re currently undergoing a cultural shift within the club and experiencing a huge upswing. There are a lot of talented young Finnish players. It’s not every day we get to see a team from the country of the world champions!”