CHL return after six years
Last season's title win marked the team's fourth appearance in the Champions League and its first return to the top flight since the 2016/17 season.
In 2016 and 2017, Kosice made it to the knockout round, while the team was knocked out in the group stage on its debut in 2015. In 18 CHL games, the team has six wins, one draw and eleven defeats with a goal difference of 37:50.
A familiar face at Oberwiesenfeld
Canadian Dan Ceman has been coaching the team for almost two years. The 49-year-old has previously won championships in Denmark and Slovakia during his coaching career. In goal are the two champion goalies Dominik Riečický and Jaroslav Janus, who recently shared the assignments.
The defense is led by Jordon Southorn. The Canadian was the top scoring defenseman with eight goals and 32 assists. Munich hockey fans should be familiar with the Swede Jens Olsson. The 38-year-old played 50 games for EHC Red Bull München in the 2011/12 season. Today, the veteran wears the blue-orange jersey and is still one of the top performers. Otherwise, many Slovakian cracks are under contract.
The top scorer on offense is a Finn. Joona Jääskeläinen scored 54 points. The attacker is supported by captain Michal Chovan (47 points). Brett Pollock has already played for Nuremberg and Schwenningen in the PENNY DEL.
The current figurehead of Slovakian ice hockey was even born in Kosice. Juraj Slafkovský, number-one draft pick of the NHL in 2022, played for the HC in his youth. The 19-year-old just completed his first season in the jersey of the Montreal Canadiens.
Munich vs. Kosice: Two historic victories
On August 20, 2015, the paths of the Red Bulls and HC Kosice crossed for the first time. In the very first Champions League match in our club's history, Michael Wolf scored a hattrick and Jeremy Dehner scored in a 4-2 opening group stage win. For the second leg eight days later, Mads Christensen scored the golden goal for a 1-0 win at the Olympia-Eisstadion. The win made Munich the first German club at the time to advance to the knockout round of the CHL.
Six years later, the two teams faced each other again. Yasin Ehliz, Jonathon Blum, Ben Smith and Frederik Tiffels were our scorers in the 4-1 win at Red Bulls Salute 2021.