photo: © CHL
First to speak and take viewers through the agenda was CHL Communication & Digital Media Manager David Nolte, who welcomed everybody to the event, first playing a highlight reel of CHL Final 2025.
CHL President Jörgen Lindgren was first to speak: "From the very beginning, we have competitive games all the way to the Final. The Final, always the highlight of the season, delivered a top level of hockey and was an amazing event."
CHL President Jörgen Lindgren was first to speak: "From the very beginning, we have competitive games all the way to the Final. The Final, always the highlight of the season, delivered a top level of hockey and was an amazing event."
I'm really proud of the work around the visual rebrand. The feedback we got from teams, leagues, fans and our commercial partners has been great.
The first virtual guest was ZSC Lions Zurich captain and club legend Patrick Geering, who won the CHL last season. "The Final was a tough game, but we played and fought for it, not just in the final but the entire season," said Geering, going on to summarise Zurich's ambitions in their title-defence season as "relentless, ready and hungry."
The second virtual guest was two-time CHL Champion and long-standing captain of Frölunda Gothenburg Max Friberg, who noted how excited he is to be back in the pan-European competition. But what is the true key to continued success in the CHL, the kind that only Frölunda know? "We aim to be the best at everything, ending each season lifting trophies," he highlighted.
Each of the 24 Head Coaches was interviewed ahead of the season and a selection of their responses was played ahead of the next section of the Press Conference.
The second virtual guest was two-time CHL Champion and long-standing captain of Frölunda Gothenburg Max Friberg, who noted how excited he is to be back in the pan-European competition. But what is the true key to continued success in the CHL, the kind that only Frölunda know? "We aim to be the best at everything, ending each season lifting trophies," he highlighted.
Each of the 24 Head Coaches was interviewed ahead of the season and a selection of their responses was played ahead of the next section of the Press Conference.
Fadri Holinger, CHL Sport Manager, was then introduced and ran through some updates ahead of the season and went on to go through this season's grid, introducing the teams geographically and generally: "Luleå are the northernmost team, while Grenoble are the most southern located team in 2025/26. To the west, Belfast are the furthest, while Tychy are the easternmost club."
A summary and review of the success of the on-ice rule changes that were introduced for 2023/24 and were in place for 2024/25 was presented and it was confirmed they would be staying in place for 2025/26.
The new rule to three-on-three overtime in place for 2025/26 onwards was presented, analysed and commented on by Holinger. In a nutshell, during three-on-three overtime, the team in control of the puck in the attacking zone may not retreat into the neutral zone. Violations result in a stoppage of play and a face-off in the offending team's defending zone.
SC Bern Head Coach Jussi Tapola spoke next, highlighting how excited the club are to be back in the CHL after five years: "It's a tough competition and we're glad to be back. The goal is to be successful here!"
Jason O'Leary, Head Coach of CHL newcomers Odense Bulldogs, said that the Danish club are "excited" and "looking forward" to facing some of Europe's very best teams.
After some of the Head Coaches spoke, David Nolte ran through prize money and other financial information, before going on to review the CHL's sustainability program, highlighting optimised scheduling, the sustainable jerseys program and a tablet donation to educational program Labdoo.
The final guest of the Virtual Press Conference was Head Referee Julia Kainberger, who made history by becoming the first female game official in the CHL last season, officiating the ZSC Lions Zurich vs. Straubing Tigers game: "It was exciting, but also very humbling. It's a very high level of hockey. These are the games you want to officiate."
A final round of Head Coaches' reactions ended the 2025/26 Virtual Pre-Season Press Conference, setting the perfect stage for the season start on Thursday.
A summary and review of the success of the on-ice rule changes that were introduced for 2023/24 and were in place for 2024/25 was presented and it was confirmed they would be staying in place for 2025/26.
The new rule to three-on-three overtime in place for 2025/26 onwards was presented, analysed and commented on by Holinger. In a nutshell, during three-on-three overtime, the team in control of the puck in the attacking zone may not retreat into the neutral zone. Violations result in a stoppage of play and a face-off in the offending team's defending zone.
SC Bern Head Coach Jussi Tapola spoke next, highlighting how excited the club are to be back in the CHL after five years: "It's a tough competition and we're glad to be back. The goal is to be successful here!"
Jason O'Leary, Head Coach of CHL newcomers Odense Bulldogs, said that the Danish club are "excited" and "looking forward" to facing some of Europe's very best teams.
After some of the Head Coaches spoke, David Nolte ran through prize money and other financial information, before going on to review the CHL's sustainability program, highlighting optimised scheduling, the sustainable jerseys program and a tablet donation to educational program Labdoo.
The final guest of the Virtual Press Conference was Head Referee Julia Kainberger, who made history by becoming the first female game official in the CHL last season, officiating the ZSC Lions Zurich vs. Straubing Tigers game: "It was exciting, but also very humbling. It's a very high level of hockey. These are the games you want to officiate."
A final round of Head Coaches' reactions ended the 2025/26 Virtual Pre-Season Press Conference, setting the perfect stage for the season start on Thursday.