The ZSC Lions are eliminated from the Champions Hockey League as defending champions in the round of 16. In the duel between the champions from Finland and Switzerland, the Zurich team had to bow to KalPa Kuopio.
19.11.2025, 19:56
19.11.2025, 20:03
SDA
While the Lions still had the edge in the previous week's 4-4 draw in Zurich, they were without a chance for long stretches in the return game in the far north on Wednesday, losing 2-4 and having to bury their hopes of progressing early on. Shortly after half-time, KalPa Kuopio were already leading 4:0. Teemu Hartikainen, who won the Champions Hockey League with Servette in 2024, scored the goals for the 2018 Spengler Cup winners to make it 2:0 and 4:0.
A great comeback, as ZSC managed twice last season on the way to winning the title (in the quarter-finals after trailing 3-0 against Eisbären Berlin), failed to materialize this time. Pontus Aberg (44.) and Dean Kukan (56.) scored in the final period to make up for the loss, but it was no longer really exciting.
Following the elimination of the defending champions, EV Zug remains the only representative of the National League in the competition. While Bern also failed in the round of 16 and Lausanne was eliminated in the preliminary round, Zug will face Lukko Rauma from Finland in the quarter-finals. After Geneva-Servette (2024) and the ZSC Lions (2025), they are attempting to become the third Swiss club in a row to win the Champions Hockey League, which was launched in 2014.
