With the deciding of the Slovakian Extraliga championship, the 48 teams that will compete in the 2016–17 Champions Hockey League are now known. Read below for details.
CHL News
HK Nitra won the Slovakian Extraliga title on Friday night, defeating HC '05 Banska Bystrica 3–2 to win the best-of-seven series in six games. With that, all 48 teams that will compete in the 2016–17 edition of the Champions Hockey League are now known.
Here are the 48 teams from the 13 participating national leagues:
Austria (EBEL) – Black Wings Linz, Orli Znojmo*, Red Bull Salzburg, Vienna Capitals.
Belarus (Extraliga) – Yunost Minsk
Czech Republic (Extraliga) – Bili Tygri Liberec, BK Mlada Boleslav, Dynamo Pardubice, HC Pilsen, Sparta Prague, Vitkovice Ostrava.
Denmark (Ligaen) – Esbjerg Energy.
Finland (Liiga) – IFK Helsinki, JYP Jyvaskyla, KalPa Kuopio, Karpat Oulu, Lukko Rauma, SaiPa Lappeenranta, Tappara Tampere, TPS Turku.
France (Ligue Magnus) – Gap Rapaces, Rouen Dragons.
Germany (DEL) – Adler Mannheim, Eisbaren Berlin, ERC Ingolstadt, Grizzlys Wolfsburg, Krefeld Pinguine, Red Bull Munich.
Great Britain (EIHL) – Sheffield Steelers.
Norway (Ligaen) – Lorenskog IK, Stavanger Oilers.
Poland (PHL) – Comarch Cracovia.
Slovakia (Extraliga) – HC Kosice, HK Nitra.
Sweden (SHL) – Djurgarden Stockholm, Farjestad Karlstad, Frolunda Gothenburg, HV71 Jonkoping, Linkoping HC, Lulea Hockey, Skelleftea AIK, Vaxjo Lakers.
Switzerland (NLA) – EV Zug, Fribourg-Gotteron, HC Davos, HC Lugano, SC Bern, ZSC Lions Zurich.
*Znojmo is based in the Czech Republic, but the club plays in the Austrian EBEL, and qualified for the CHL as the league's second-place finisher.
Many of the leagues are still engaged in their finals. When all the leagues are finished – which will be Friday, 29 April at the latest – the teams will be ranked and placed into three baskets of 16 teams each, in preparation for the Draw on 3 May in Zurich. Each group will contain one team from each basket.