On Tuesday there will be an all-Swedish final duel in the Champions Hockey League between Frölunda Göteborg and Luleå Hockey. Christoph Sternat, a referee from the win2day ICE Hockey League, will lead the game.
The big season finale for the crown of European ice hockey will take place in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg. Frölunda, four-time CHL champions and third in the regular season, enjoys home advantage in their duel with Luleå (2015 CHL winners). The game will be broadcast live on ORF Sport+ from 6:55 p.m.
A representative of the win2day ICE Hockey League will also be on the ice at the final of the European ice hockey premier class: referee Christoph Sternat, who was informed about his nomination by Lyle Seitz around two weeks ago. “It was unexpected. Unfortunately, I was ill in the semi-final and had to cancel. The fact that I now have the chance to referee the final is a great honor. For every referee, it is a highlight to be on the ice at the end of a tournament or championship,” says the Carinthian, who has been working as a professional referee for around a year and a half. For him, the appointment is also a confirmation of his path: “You invest a lot and sacrifice a lot for the sport. It’s all the better when you get the opportunity to show what Austrian referees can do on such a big stage.”
Already managed 22 CHL games
Sternat has officiated 22 CHL games to date and has appeared in several IIHF tournaments – including the IIHF U20 World Championship Division IA 2025 as well as several World Championships at the men’s and junior levels. In the win2day ICE Hockey League he has already officiated over 400 games, including 60 playoff games and five final series. Now the 34-year-old is looking forward to the next career highlight: “I’m preparing particularly intensively for the game. As a referee, you go through the CHL rules again in detail because they differ in some points from everyday league life. I’ve already officiated Luleå games in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, and I also know Frölunda well. I know that I’m on the ice with top players and I expect fast, fair ice hockey and a great atmosphere.”
The second main referee is Mikael Holm, who most recently worked at the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina in 2026. Sternat already knows the Swede from previous joint appearances at international tournaments: “He is one of the top referees in Europe, and it makes me proud to be able to referee the final together with him. Of course, it’s always easier when you already know each other,” says the Carinthian, who is also looking forward to the upcoming championship phase in the win2day ICE Hockey League: “One highlight follows the next. The playoffs will be extremely exciting – I expect long series.”
www.alps.hockey, Image: HCI / PAPA Productions
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