CHL: KAC competes at KalPa Kuopio without six cracks!

At the end of the regular season in the Champions Hockey League, the Red Jackets will play away on Wednesday evening against the Finnish champions KalPa Kuopio, who have won all of their CHL games so far this year.

The EC-KAC is playing its sixth and final game in the regular season of the Champions Hockey League today. The Red Jackets are away to the reigning Finnish champions KalPa Kuopio, who are still undefeated in the CHL this year and have already qualified early and are the first club to qualify for the round of 16 in November.

The way there is still open for the Klagenfurt team. An away win in regular time would secure them a place in the knockout phase. If they get less than three points, they are also dependent on the results in the parallel games. The duel between KalPa Kuopio and KAC Klagenfurt starts locally at 6.30 p.m., i.e. at 5.30 p.m. Austrian time.

Personnel

The EC-KAC will also have to do without the long-term injured David Maier, Luka Gomboc and Fabian Hochegger today. In addition, goalie Sebastian Dahm is not available in Kuopio, having traveled to his native Denmark for family reasons. The two center forwards Jan Muršak (recently injured) and Mario Kempe (recently ill) are also not yet involved in the sixth and final game of the regular season in the Champions Hockey League, but they are already in contact with the ice again and are planning to return to play this week.

Mellitzer replaces Fischer

There is also an absence from the coaching bench in Finland; assistant coach David Fischer is also not making the trip north for family reasons. Assistant General Manager (and ex-EC-KAC Head Coach) Alexander Mellitzer steps in for him on the bench. When it comes to field players, the Red Jackets can expect a lineup like the one seen in the home win against HC Pustertal on Sunday, with Michael Sicher being on board as the second goalkeeper. The red and white delegation left for Finland early on Tuesday morning. They will not return to Klagenfurt after the game in Kuopio, but will stop off in Vienna, where the next game in the win2day ICE Hockey League is scheduled for Friday evening.

www.kac.at, Image: EC-KAC/Wolfgang Jannach





Jake Thompson

Jake Thompson

Hello, I'm Jake Thompson, a proud Canadian with a lifelong passion for hockey. Growing up in Toronto, I spent my mornings on the ice and my evenings analyzing every game, which naturally led me to a career in sports journalism. At DUBNetwork, I merge my love for storytelling and the sport to bring you compelling insights from the heart of hockey.