Yunost Minsk have won the Belarusian championship and will compete in the 2016–17 Champions Hockey League. That leaves qualification spots still open in Denmark, Germany, Norway and Slovakia.
CHL News, with files from IIHF.com
Last week we told you the Champions Hockey League qualification story for all 13 leagues that will send teams to the 2016–17 season. Since that time, one more team has qualified – Yunost Minsk in Belarus – meaning four more spots remain.
Belarus (1/1)
Yunost Minsk have won the Belarusian championship after winning Game 5 of the Extraliga Final on home ice on Friday, 4–3 over Shakhtyor Soligorsk.
Ukrainian international forward Andrei Mikhnov, one of the team's top scorers, declared himself “the happiest man in the world” after lifting the cup, particularly after Shakhtyor recovered from 0–3 to make it 2–3 and 3–4 in a nervous third period. “Towards the end we eased up a little when we needed to maintain the initiative and win the game without any hassle,” he told Belarusian sports newspaper Pressball. “But we’ve battled with this team all season and it’s a great satisfaction to win it.”
The huge crowd at Chizhovka was reminiscent of the scenes when the stadium hosted games in the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Even Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, came along to watch the decisive game. “I don’t remember ever seeing support like this,” Mikhnov added. “The only thing comparable was playing for Ukraine in the World Championship in Donetsk.”
Denmark (0/1)
Both Ligaen semi-finals have gone the distance and will be decided in seventh games on Tuesday night, where the two finalists will be decided. The lone Danish CHL spot for next season will go to the national champions. Sonderjyske Vojens, who have competed in the last two CHL tournaments, found themselves trailing to Esbjerg Energy 3 games to 1 but have battled back with two straight wins to force a decisive game on home ice. Fredrikshavn IK host Blue Fox Herning in the other Game 7.
Germany (5/6)
In the DEL semi-finals, Grizzlys Wolfsburg holding a commanding 3 games to 0 lead over the Nuremburg Ice Tigers and Red Bull Munich up 2–1 on Kolner Haie. As Munich have already qualified for the CHL, having finished 2nd in the regular season, if they make the finals the other series winner – which looks to be Wolfburg – will grab the last remaining German CHL spot. If If Koln manage to win, the spot will go to the team that wins the title.
Norway (1/2)
Both semi-finals (Stavanger Oilers vs Storhamar Hamar and Lorenskog IK vs Valerenga Olso) are currently tied 2–2. Stavanger have already qualified, having finished 1st in the regular season. If they repeat as national champions, the other CHL spot will go to Lorenskog, who finished 2nd in the regular season. If another team wins the title, that team will get the remaining spot.
Slovakia (1/2)
HC Kosice, who have already qualified for the CHL as regular season winners, find themselves on the brink of elimination in the Slovak Extraliga semi-finals, trailing 3–1 to HC '05 Banska Bystrica. If Kosice manage to come back and repeat as champions, the second spot will go to HK Nitra, second-place finishers from the regular season. Nitra and HKm Zvolen are currently tied 2–2 in the other semi.