The dominance of the Swiss National League in the Champions Hockey League is over. After the triumphs of Genève-Servette (2024) and the ZSC Lions (2025), EV Zug was eliminated in the semi-finals against Swedish champions Lulea.
20.01.2026, 21:22
20.01.2026, 21:41
SDA
Zug lost the second leg in northern Sweden 2:3, having already lost the first leg in Zug 2:3.
Zug would have liked to end their results crisis in the European Cup. The Central Swiss team invested a lot in the game. They also made an effort. Ultimately, however, Lulea's victory - and their progress anyway - was well deserved. Mistakes of the kind that are currently costing EV Zug games in the National League time and again also led to defeat against Lulea.
Not enough goals
Zug has lost ten competitive games in a row since EVZ won its home game against Davos 3-2 on penalties on the last matchday before Christmas. In all of these ten games, Zug never scored three goals - twice even none or just one.
In Lulea, it would have taken four goals to force overtime and five goals to qualify for the final. Even with merciless efficiency, this endeavor would have been a complicated mission. Because Lulea hardly allowed anything during the entire game.
The EVZ, on the other hand, allowed their opponents to take the lead after just seven minutes with a counterattack after losing the puck at the offensive blue line. In addition, the Czech Tomas Tatar took the first three two-minute penalties of the game in the first twelve minutes, one of which led to Lulea's powerplay goal to make it 2:0.
0:3 after 26 minutes
Lulea led 3:0 after 26 minutes; the total score was 6:2. It was only from this point on that EV Zug was able to play a better game. Gregory Hofmann reduced the deficit to 1:3 37 seconds after the third goal, Tatar reduced the deficit to 2:3 in the second period, but another miracle like in the quarter-final, when Zug advanced with a 3:0 in the second leg after a 1:3 in the first leg against Lukko Rauma, did not materialize.
The EVZ can now concentrate on its main business - the National League. On Friday, Zug will host Kloten, followed by further away games in Davos and Zurich in January (in addition to home games against Langnau and Lausanne). Zug have lost twelve competitive games in a row away from home. The last away win was 1-0 in Geneva on October 30.
Lulea - Zug 3:2 (2:0, 1:2, 0:0)
4150 spectators. - SR Rohatsch/Kova (CZE/FIN), Strömberg/Sörholm (SWE). - Goals: 7. Hedqvist (Shinnimin, O'Neill) 1:0. 15. Andreasson (Laaksonen, Levtchi/Exclusion Tatar) 2:0. 26. (25:35) Shinnimin (Engsund, Hedqvist) 3:0. 27. (26:12) Hofmann (Tatar) 3:1. 33. Tatar (Kubalik) 3:2. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Lulea, 4 times 2 minutes against Zug.
Zug: Genoni; Sklenicka, Riva; Schlumpf, Stadler; Senteler, Tobias Geisser; Mischa Geisser; Kubalik, Tatar, Hofmann; Vozenilek, Kovar, Wingerli; Künzle, Wey, Herzog; Leuenberger, Eggenberger, Lindemann; Antenen.
