It’s time for the final in the Champions Hockey League (CHL), where Sweden’s final representative is Skellefteå AIK. AIK will now host Swiss Genève-Servette in the 2023/24 CHL final. Below we give you the information you need before the meeting.
On February 20, 2024, the final of the Champions Hockey League 2023/24 will be decided. After a long tournament, starting in August/September with group games, two final teams have been crowned in the form of Skellefteå AIK from Västerbotten and Genève-Servette from the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The final is played on Swiss soil where Skellefteå will be the away team in the final game.
In Geneve-Servette, it is the Finns who are the most influential players. The super duo Sakari Manninen and Teemu Hartikainen have won double World Cup gold and an Olympic gold for Finland together and score a lot of points in the Swiss league and in the CHL together with the legendary Valterri Filppula (Stanley Cup gold, Olympic gold, World Cup gold). Add to that defender Sami Vatanen, who is the top scorer in both the league and the CHL. Vatanen also has an Olympic and World Cup gold for Finland, as well as seven or eight seasons in the NHL.
In Skellefteå then? Yes, on Swedish soil it is clearly the most experienced team in the SHL. With players like Oskar Lindberg, Pär Lindholm, Jonathan Pudas, Andreas Johnsson and Petter Granberg, there is a mix of Olympic routine, NHL routine and WC routine. Skellefteå is completely homegrown with Swedish players with two exceptions in the Latvian Martins Dzierkals and the Canadian Dylan Sikura. Otherwise, Skellefteå only has Swedish players, where most have a history in SAIK from before and a connection to the northern parts of Sweden.
Former Champions Hockey League winners
A total of eight times a final has been played in the Champions Hockey League which started the 2014/15 season. Luleå HF became the first champion after their final victory against Frölunda. But the following year, Frölunda returned to the final game and won their first CHL title before winning the tournament the following year as well. Frölunda is the most champion as they have won the Champions Hockey League a total of four times.
2014/15 – Luleå HF
2015/16 – Frölunda HC
2016/17 – Frölunda HC
2017/18 – JYP (Finland)
2018/19 – Frölunda HC
2019/20 – Frölunda HC
2020/21 – No final (covid-19)
2021/22 – Rögle BK
2022/23 – Tappara (Finland)
Where is Skellefteå against Geneva broadcast?
Geneva vs. Skellefteå will be played on February 20, 2024 with kick-off at 19:30. Viaplay Group and Viaplay manage all CHL broadcasts. The final is broadcast starting at 19:30 on TV6 and the studio starts at 19:00. If you would rather stream the meeting, it is available on Viaplay without any interruptions. In the studio, Niklas Jihde receives with his expert colleagues.
What do the odds look like?
Coach
The coach for Geneve-Servette HC is the Swiss Jan Cadieux. He has on the coaching bench the Swede Rikard Franzén as an assistant coach and likewise the Frenchman Yorick Treille (brother of the national team player Sascha).
The coach for Skellefteå AIK is Robert Ohlsson, who has Andreas Falk and Pierre Johnsson on the coaching bench in a successful trio.
Key player
Geneva
Jussi Olkinuora
Theodor Lennström
Sami Vatanen
Teemu Hartikainen
Sakari Manninen
Valtteri Filppula
Skellefteå AIK
Linus Söderström
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Jonathan Pudas
Oscar Lindberg
Pär Lindholm
Linus Lindstrom
The team’s path to the final
Geneve-Servette
Group play:
Innsbruck – Geneva, 5-2
Kosice – Geneva, 2-3
Geneve – Bolzano, 6-1
Geneva – Rouen, 9-1
Geneva – Pardubice, 3-2 e.forl
Lock – Geneva, 3-2
Finished seventh in the overall standings.
Round of 16:
RB Munich – Geneve, 3-2
Geneve – RB Munich, 3-1
Quarter Finals:
Geneva – Växjö, 4-1
Växjö – Geneva, 3-2
Semifinal:
Geneva – Lukko Rauma, 2-2
Lukko Rauma – Geneva, 2-3
Skellefteå AIK
Group play:
SAIK – RB Salzburg, 4-0
SAIK – Pardubice, 3-4
SAIK – Rouen, 0-1
Tappara – SAIK, 3-5
Kosice – SAIK, 1-2
Innsbruck – SAIK, 2-4
Finished fifth in the overall standings.
Round of 16:
Trinec – SAIK, 4-3
SAIK – Trinec, 5-2
Quarter Finals:
SAIK – Färjestad, 3-4
Färjestad – SAIK, 1-4
Semifinal:
Vitkovice – SAIK, 2-4
SAIK – Vitkovice, 1-2
