Frölunda are one of Europe’s most successful and best-known ice hockey clubs. The Gothenburg side have won the Swedish championship (SHL) five times – in 1965, 2003, 2005, 2016 and 2019. Their record in the Champions Hockey League (CHL) is even more impressive, with five titles in the past eleven years (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2026).

Frölunda already graced the Spengler Cup in 2023, when the SHL powerhouse were among the tournament favourites with the bookmakers. But a fired-up HC Davos knocked the Swedes out in a crazy semi-final, scoring the decisive goal just 51 seconds into overtime.

Frölunda learned a lot from that experience three years ago, says the Swedish team’s General Manager Fredrik Sjöström: “I think we were not 100% ready when the tournament started in 2023. Now we know the conditions, the atmosphere and the competition – this year we will be ready. The games are highly competitive and played at a very high level. We now know what to expect.”
Little has changed since Frölunda’s last appearance in Davos. The Swedish club remains one of the best teams in Europe. The major highlight of the 2025/26 season came in March, when Frölunda won the Champions Hockey League. In a dramatic all-Swedish final, Frölunda defeated Luleå HF 3–2 in overtime at their home arena, the Scandinavium. Jere Innala, who moved to HC Lugano this summer, scored the decisive goal in overtime to make Frölunda the record five-time CHL champions. The team also enjoyed an excellent regular season in the Swedish championship. With 101 points from 52 games, Frölunda finished second in the standings behind Skellefteå AIK. Despite their strong starting position, however, their hopes of winning a sixth Swedish title came to a surprisingly early end in the playoff quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Luleå after six games.

Despite – or perhaps precisely because of – that early playoff exit, Frölunda’s hunger for success remains undiminished. Fredrik Sjöström underlines the high standards his organisation sets for itself: “Our goal is to win the tournament. We know it will be tough, but wherever we participate, we try to win.”
HCD defenceman Dominik Egli can only confirm that mentality. The Swiss international knows the organisation from first-hand experience. In the summer of 2024, Egli fulfilled a childhood dream when he left Davos for two seasons in the SHL with Frölunda before returning to HCD this summer: “Frölunda invest a lot in player development. That means they have good young players coming through every year who can be integrated into the first team and make the team better. And yes, in every campaign they enter, they have the mindset that they want to win it. So it doesn’t matter who they play against or where they play – they always want to win. That is like a skill they have.”

That combination of talent and a winning mentality naturally makes Frölunda HC one of the tournament favourites. And Sport Director Fredrik Sjöström leaves no doubt that the Swedes are not coming to Davos for a holiday: “We will also organise activities in Davos with the players, staff and families. It’s a great opportunity to grow even closer as a team and build strong relationships. But don’t underestimate us – we are here to play hockey!”

Text: Spengler Cup-Online Editorial Team    Photo: Keystone