Eight teams are getting set to compete in the Champions Hockey League quarter-finals next Tuesday and, if you believe Skelleftea AIK defenceman Martin Sevc, the level of hockey will be even better than anything we've seen in the competition so far.
by Lucie Muzikova
SKELLEFTEA – After a year in the KHL, Czech defenceman Martin Sevc headed back to Sweden this summer where he'd played four of the previous five seasons. Specifically, he headed north to Skelleftea, where he played 50 games and recorded 17 points in 2012–13, helping AIK win their first of back-to-back titles. Sevc is back in a familiar environment but with one difference – the Champions Hockey League. Skelleftea is not taking the new European club championship lightly, and it shows.
“The CHL is important for our team and we take it seriously,” the 33-year-old rearguard explained. “We are happy be a part of a confrontation between different countries and styles of hockey. We're playing every game with our top line-up.”
That attitude has paid off so far. During the group stage, Skelleftea won five of six games, out-scoring their opponents 20–8. The team's only defeat came in their last game, after they already had the Group J title sewn up, against IFK Helsinki, another team which has advanced to the quarter-finals. Then they survived a tough two-game series against JYP Jyvaskyla and now face fellow Swedish club Linkoping HC, who Sevc thinks will be even more difficult.
“The level of the games is constantly increasing. That's due to how the season is developing and how teams are getting better,” the physical defenceman explained. “Namely, our team had changed a lot compared to last season. Half the roster is different, so we had to get used to each other in the first few games. Now we play differently of course.”
Skelleftea needed to be at the top of their game to overcome the hole they found themselves in against JYP. Trailing 5–1 after two periods in Jyvaskyla, they scored three times in the third period to cut the aggregate score to only one goal heading into the second game at home. Two goals down with three minutes to go, they scored twice in to force overtime, then won in a shootout.
“We were extremely happy that we managed to come back and win,” the four-time SHL champion said. About the emotional swing of then having to quickly recover and get back to the business of playing in the SHL he said, “It is challenging to manage both the Swedish and Champions League, but it's doable.”
After playing their first eight CHL games against teams from Germany, Denmark and Finland, up next is a more familiar opponent. Skelleftea and Linkoping have met twice so far in SHL play with both teams winning once at home.
“We've already met twice this year and by the end of the regular season we'll have played three more times. And now there are two more in the (CHL) quarter-finals. There is no longer any surprise,” Sevc said with a laugh.
Of the eight teams remaining in the CHL are four Swedish and four Finnish clubs. When asked about the reason for that, Sevc says he believes it is a combination of two factors.
“The quality of the leagues that (Swedish and Finnish teams) play in certainly plays a role. Plus we can add the fact that in Sweden and Finland, the teams are taking the CHL very seriously.”
It's not hard to figure that clubs from these countries would play with a lot of pride. After all, the CHL has its roots in the Nordic Trophy – a tournament for Swedish and Finnish teams. Many consider these to be the two strongest national leagues on continental Europe, and the teams want to show that this is correct. The players from the eight remaining teams are really geared up to become European champions and Sevc hopes the fans get geared up as well.
“This competition has the potential for fans to get really enthusiastic about it. However, it's still new and people have to get used to it. As it grows, I hope it changes for the better.”