Twelve years on from playing two games against each other in the very first season of the Champions Hockey League, Kölner Haie and Bílí Tygři Liberec meet again!

In Die Haie, you can expect one of the strongest teams of the 2026/27 CHL season so far. Great goaltending, a strong blue line and efficient scoring from some of the sharpest shooters on the continent are the most visible aspects of Cologne's play so far this season. The DEL side also add in a pretty capable PP (23.08%) and PK (87.5%) units to set them up as the perfect well-rounded team.

We just have to mention the epic Cologne trio of Marcel Noebels (7G, 5A), the former Berlin sniper who finished as the Top Scorer of the Regular Season, Patrick Russell (7G, 4A), a menace on the ice and especially on the PP or late into the game and Gregor MacLeod (1G, 9A) who has been the perfect team-first player. These three combined make up most of Cologne's scoring output which is great, but also could be their biggest weakness. As we move into the packed Autumn-Winter months, team depth is vital and Cologne are going to need the rest of their roster to step up and pitch in more.

A special mention goes out to Cologne's passionate fans who have been simply unbelievable, filling the LANXESS Arena up to 18,104 back on Game Day 3 to break the CHL attendance record. 

Looking at Bílí Tygři Liberec, the Czechs had a tough start to their sixth CHL campaign taking back-to-back losses on the road to get their 2026/27 rolling. However, a string of three home games really got their juices flowing as they took win after win (even toppling reigning CHL Champions Frölunda Gothenburg) and added the cherry on top when they made their way to Davos and took a strong 2-0 shutout victory in a hugely important game in the Race for the Playoffs. 

However, it's also pretty clear special unit play isn't their forté, as their PP has a sub-10% efficiency and their PK is also a bit lacking with a 75% success rate. Cologne have done a lot of their heavy hitting in these situations, so tightening up will be a key focus point. The same applies for their goaltending and blue line play, which was a bit loose to start the season but noticabely improved towards the end of the Regular Season. Staying on that trajectory is a must.