The starting position
After their opening home game against Swedish champions Skelleftea AIK, the Red Bulls will face the next team that is currently one of the top teams in Europe in their away game against the ZSC Lions. The ten-time Swiss champions, who beat Lausanne in the seven-game final in the last NL season, seem to have carried their strong form over the summer with them.
After two away victories to start the CHL - the Lions won 4:1 against Storhamar Hamar (NOR) and Ilves Tampere (FIN) - the Swiss team also beat the DEL team Straubing Tigers 3:2 at home yesterday and now have three wins after three games.
The Red Bulls are also well aware of Zurich's qualities. It was only at the Red Bulls Salute in Zell am See in August that the Austrian champions lost 3-0. In their second clash this season, the Red Bulls will once again face 20-year-old Vinzenz Rohrer from Vorarlberg, who was drafted by the Montréal Canadiens two years ago and is now playing his second season with the Swiss club.
The game will be played in Zurich in the Swiss Life Arena, which opened in 2022, has a capacity of 12,000 spectators and features the largest LED video cube installed in an ice hockey stadium in Europe.