Story Summary
A group of Swedish SHL owner clubs are seeking changes to the Champions Hockey League, including a schedule that would finish the competition’s regular season before the SHL campaign begins.
Djurgården, Frölunda, Färjestad, HV71, Linköping and Luleå also want a reduced knockout format. Their preferred model would feature a quarter-final followed by a Final Four weekend, with semi-finals and the final deciding the tournament.
Frölunda club director Christian Lechtaler said the owner clubs and the wider SHL group have discussed what an optimal model could look like, with the next response due from the CHL. He also stressed that Frölunda wants the competition to continue, while acknowledging the demands created by travel and additional fixtures.
Key Facts
- Djurgården, Frölunda, Färjestad, HV71, Linköping and Luleå are the Swedish owner clubs backing a review of the Champions Hockey League format.
- The Swedish clubs want the CHL regular season completed before the SHL season starts.
- Their proposed knockout structure would consist of a quarter-final and a Final Four weekend containing the semi-finals and final.
- Finnish clubs are reportedly aligned with the Swedish clubs on reducing the competition’s format.
- Christian Lechtaler said the owner clubs’ agreement runs until 2028 and that discussions have taken place with other SHL clubs about the optimal model.
- Lechtaler said Frölunda supports continuing the CHL because international club matches can help develop players, coaches and the wider organisation.
- He added that travel and extra matches make it necessary to find the right balance for the competition.
IHM Discussion
The discussion is not a rejection of European club competition but a push to make it fit more cleanly around domestic hockey. The Swedish position combines two linked ideas: reduce the volume of knockout games and remove a potential early-season overlap with the SHL.
A Final Four weekend would concentrate the decisive part of the tournament into one event rather than extending the elimination rounds across a longer period. The clubs’ reported preference for completing the regular season before the SHL begins similarly reflects a desire for a clearer calendar.
Lechtaler’s comments underline the practical tension. Frölunda values international opposition and the developmental opportunities it brings, but sees travel and the additional match load as issues that must be accounted for in any future format. The CHL’s current tournament agreement is due to expire after next season, while Lechtaler said the owner clubs’ agreement runs through 2028.
Why It Matters
The CHL brings clubs from different European nations together, but its structure has to work alongside national leagues with their own sporting and commercial priorities. For SHL clubs, a schedule that is settled before the domestic opener would create a more distinct separation between competitions.
The proposed Final Four model would also make the latter stages more compact. That would preserve a route to a European title while addressing the resource demands identified by Lechtaler. Any change would depend on the CHL’s response and on the wider questions around rights payments and the competition’s overall structure.
Mini Q&A
Which SHL clubs are behind the proposed CHL changes?
Djurgården, Frölunda, Färjestad, HV71, Linköping and Luleå are identified as the Swedish owner clubs seeking changes.
What format do the clubs want for the CHL playoffs?
They want a reduced knockout stage with a quarter-final followed by a Final Four weekend of semi-finals and a final.
Does Frölunda want to leave the Champions Hockey League?
No. Christian Lechtaler said Frölunda wants the competition to continue, while seeking a balance around travel and the added fixture load.
Coach Mark Comment
From a bench perspective, the attraction of this proposal is clearer role definition across the calendar. A coach can prepare for an international block differently when it has a defined end point before domestic league play begins, rather than asking players to switch repeatedly between priorities. The trade-off is that a shorter knockout route gives less room to recover from one difficult performance, so preparation and game management become even more important. A Final Four weekend would place a premium on handling a concentrated high-stakes stretch, but it could also make the European objective easier for players and staff to understand within the full season plan.
What Comes Next
The immediate checkpoint is the CHL’s response to the format discussions raised by the owner clubs and other SHL teams.
IHM Final View
The Swedish clubs are arguing for reform rather than withdrawal. Their preferred calendar and knockout changes aim to retain the value of European competition while making its demands more manageable alongside the SHL season.