HC Davos enters the 94th Spengler Cup on the second day of the tournament (December 27). It will meet with defending champion Team Canada in the evening game. Before that, IFK Helsinki and Orebro HK will face off in the afternoon.

HC Davos’ last Spengler Cup tournament title already dates back eleven years. Amongst the current Davos players, only Andres Ambuhl knows how it feels to lift the winners trophy on December 31. “It is time that we win the Spengler Cup again”, says the acting HCD captain. But Ambuhl is also aware that to win it all a lot must come together. “With four or even five games in five days, which might be the case for HCD, one must find a flow and make clever decisions, that work out. At the end of the day, one has to play the best hockey when it counts. We are very motivated to show the ice hockey friends an exciting Spengler Cup.” Due to the running national championship, Davos has mostly two advantages to offer: HCD is among the best teams in Switzerland on the power play and penalty kill.

In its first game HCD will surprisingly face Team Canada, which sensationally lost 3-2 to Sparta Prague yesterday evening. The Canadians now need to win against Davos at any cost if they still want to keep their hopes to win the group alive.

The afternoon game will feature a gripping Scandinavian duel between IFK Helsinki and Orebro HK. The two nations took the gold medal at four of the last five world championships: Finland in 2022 and 2020, Sweden 2017 and 2018. Finland is also the current Olympic champion. IFK Helsinki had only just arrived in Davos as the last tournament contender, when the team from Orebro was preparing for its Spengler Cup debut against Ambri-Piotta. The Fins then did one practice session in the early evening. In their home “Liiga”, IFK Helsinki currently sits in tenth place. After a difficult start to the season, they are trending upward, however. The team of head coach Ville Peltonen has won three of the past four championship games. IFK Helsinki can now show up to the Spengler Cup free of any pressure, which makes the team dangerous and promises an exciting clash with Orebro. Peltonen describes his group as courageous and fast-paced. Despite the 5-2 loss against Ambri-Piotta, Orebro did not leave a bad impression. The shots on net of 33-26 were even in favour of the Swedes. They will do anything to make their second Spengler Cup appearance a success.

Text: Spengler Cup-Onlineredaktion   Foto: Keystone