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The Champions Hockey League resumes this Thursday with a first batch of six games, followed by an almost nonstop weekend. The 2026-27 schedule opens at 17h30 with Plzen against Rögle and Tappara against Liberec, before an evening that will directly involve Fribourg-Gottéron, Bordeaux, Genève-Servette and Davos in the days that follow. For a competition sometimes caught between continental prestige and domestic schedules, the start is packed.
A two-stage launch
On Thursday, Plzen-Rögle and Tappara-Liberec get things underway, followed by Pardubice hosting Tychy.
The first matchday is played across Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Plzen-Rögle and Tappara-Liberec get things underway, followed by Pardubice hosting Tychy. Fribourg-Gottéron travels to face the Graz99ers at 18h30, before Klagenfurt-Bordeaux and Salzburg-Cologne at 19h15. On Friday, Nitra-Skellefteå, Frölunda-SaiPa, Herning-KooKoo, Mannheim-Växjö, Davos-Storhamar and Genève-Servette-Berlin complete the opening act.
The next stage comes quickly: a second matchday is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. This format leaves little time to tell themselves they are still finding their feet. Teams that pieced together their systems during preseason will have to establish them under pressure, with travel, different styles and standings taking shape very early.
Fribourg, Davos, Genève and Bordeaux in the mix
For the Swiss teams, Fribourg-Gottéron begins in Austria against the Graz99ers, then follows up on Saturday in Klagenfurt. Davos starts at home on Friday against Storhamar, before hosting Berlin on Sunday. Genève-Servette follows the same home schedule, first against Berlin and then against Storhamar. Three Swiss clubs, three condensed schedules, and already one simple question: who will be able to pick up points before the National League takes over their legs again?
Bordeaux, the French representative, begins with two Austrian appointments, in Klagenfurt on Thursday and then in Graz on Saturday. For a Ligue Magnus club, the CHL remains a demanding stage: speed of execution, roster depth, special teams—everything is tested more starkly there than in domestic competition. But that is also precisely what makes these games useful, even when the matchup looks harsh on paper.
A tighter competition than before
The CHL features 24 teams this season, including clubs from the Swedish, Finnish, Swiss, German, Czech and ICEHL leagues. The draw was held in May in Zurich, with pots based on league rankings and domestic performances. The idea remains to offer a short but meaningful regular season, in which every game matters for reaching the knockout rounds.
The organizers have emphasized a more balanced competition for several seasons now. The big names retain their advantage, but the gaps narrow when the schedule forces the favorites to travel early and face opponents that are already highly structured. Clubs that treat the CHL as a preseason bonus generally pay for it fairly quickly.
The first clues arrive immediately
The final is scheduled for 23 February 2027, seemingly a long way off. Yet the foundations are being laid now. An away win in September can be worth a lot in October, especially in a format where the six regular-season games leave little room for correction.
The public will first see lines still being fine-tuned, goaltenders already being tested and coaches looking for the right balance between European ambition and managing the start of the season. This is often where the CHL finds its charm: not yet the depths of winter, but already games that matter. European hockey is back in the spotlight, and no one really has the luxury of starting slowly.