Luleå HF

Whereas I am tipping Luleå women's team to retain their national championship, I think the men's team may struggle to get out of the bottom four places this year.

Last year's team managed to gain seventh place due to a good run at the end of the season, but were easily swept aside in the playoff.

Maybe it was wise of them to recruit import player Jack Connelly, from rivals at bottom in the table, Rögle BK. The undrafted American has played all his professional career in Sweden, hammering out a 0.50 Points Per Game - precious for a struggling team.

But maybe the most interesting developments at Luleå are their younger stars. Defenseman Jesper Sellgren has just been drafted this summer by Carolina Hurricanes after a successful Junior World Championship. Whilst 18 year old forward Isac Lundeström (pictured) is only at the club on loan from the Anaheim Ducks, who drafted him this summer in Round 1, again after a successful Junior Worlds where he netted twice in seven games.

After 32 games the first weekend of the CHL is finished with every team playing twice in the Europe-wide competition.

Only five teams were about to secure maximum points with two regulation wins out of two and all of them are from different nations. They were Malmö Redhawks (SWE), Red Bull München (GER), Kärpät Oulu (FIN), HV Zug (SWI) and HC Pilsen (CZE). Swede Lars Bryggman (above) as five goals from the two games with the Redhawks, whilst Top Scorer with six points is Dane, Mads Christensen playing for Red Bull München.

Current CHL champions, JYP Jyväskylä from Finland were beaten away from home by HC Pilsen, the Czech team who Milan Gulas, formerly of Färjestad BK, now plays for. However, they did win their first road game against Slovakian champions, Banská Bystrica.

Perhaps the greatest surprise of the opening weekend was the double win for Italian side, HC Bolzano who hosted Swedish giants, Skellefteå AIK and then former Finnish champions, Helsinki IFK.

The winners of the Austrian/ international EBEL league were leading against the Swedish silver medalists until 5:39 was left on the clock and new signing Juhamatti Aaltonen found the net for the visitors. But a goalless Over Time meant penalties. And amazingly, 26 year old Italian/ Canadian, Alex Petan was the only player to score from the spot giving the unlikeliest of wins to the Italian club.

The Finnish team did the even worse, losing 4-1 in regulation to the Foxes.

So the EBEL champions go into the second round of play (6/7 September) in top place in their group. They know that home and away wins against the Polish newcomers, GK Tychy, could be enough to see them through to the knockout stages.

Swedish Women's Hockey League starts it's 11th year and the previous five seasons have been dominated by two teams - Linköping HC and Luleå HF. These two have won all but one regular season league table and all but one championship in that time. They were again the two finalists as Luleå ran out winners and dominated the series last spring.

But things maybe about to change in the league. Not least, because the majority of the Swedish national team that won Olympic Silver in 2006 are now retiring. Indeed, many of the stars of the first generation of professional women's hockey in Sweden are hanging up their skates as they enter their 30s.

On the flip side the SDHL is starting, like the men's league, to attract some of the best players from around the world into the clubs. And as the old guard step down it is also allowing space for new names to step up into the spotlight.

My money is on Luleå to do the double and win the league and championship, as they did last year because of the enormous competence across the team. But I think there will be a broader spread of teams vying for top spot against them, with Brynäs IF perhaps the strongest challengers.

Over the next few days we will take a look at some of the "leavers", the some "stayers" and new recruits who will seeking glory on Swedish ice this year.

Malmö Redhawks

Two years ago the Redhawks knocked out Växjö in the quarterfinals and the teamlist from last year looked like they might go further. But it was not to be, and this summer the tram had been stripping out of the team of many of the best players. So I think they will be in places 6-10 this year.

However, Danes Frederik Storm and Nichlas Hardt remain and there is also young potential star, defenseman Malte Setkov (photo). The 198cm tall, 19 year old was drafted in 2017 by Detroit Red Wings but has not yet had the chance to prove himself in the SHL.

They will be joined by former Skellefteå AIK back, Henrik Hetta, one of the SHL's more underrated Swedes, by my estimation. The 28 year old returns to the club where he spent four years, including his first season at SHL level.

The only non-Danish import player is newly recruited Austrian, Konstantin Komarek. At only 25 he has already played seven of the last 10 years in the Sweden, including one year in Malmö. The club will be looking for him to be creating goals and be ringing the siren on a regular basis again.

Linköping HC

The biggest change at the club will be new management as Tommy Jonsson comes into replace Dan Tangnes, who left at the end of last season. However, the club continues is tradition of relying on North American firepower, beating teams by simply outscoring them.

They have retained reliable points getter, Andrew Gordon but also have a number of Olympians in the squad with Canadian assistant captain, Derek Roy , and American blueliner, Chad Billins staying at the club.

But all the talk around the league is the return of American Olympian and top SHL goal scorer, Broc Little (pictured above). Whilst at 175 cm he is one of the shortest players in the SHL, he will be looking to repeat his 1.00 Point Per Game average and/or being top scorer in the league. Linköping know a good thing when they see it and have managed to sign him on a three year contact.

One of the few players shorter than Little is his new teammate, Joe Whitney. The American is only 163cm tall but in seven years in the AHL has amassed 311 points in 450 games so will be looking to make a big impact in the SHL.

Frölunda Indians

For me, even the loss of the much talked about Rasmus Dahlin, as the number one draft choice to Buffalo Sabres, is not going to affect the team a great deal. I'm expecting the team from Gothenburg to go all the way and win the Le Mat Trophy this year and maybe, even the Champions Hockey League too, as they did in 2015/6.

That because they still have retained the majority of their talented players, not least, captain Joel Lundqvist, former Anaheim Duck, Max Friberg and one of the best import players in the SHL, goalscorer Ryan Lasch.

At the back, apart from retaining Canadian Jonathan Sigalet, they have added one of the most interesting signings of the off season, Canadian Olympian, Chay Greenway. The shorter than average defenseman will be challenging for the top scoring back in the league and comes to Sweden after four years in the KHL as well as three years in the AHL.

As if that wasn't enough, they have also pinched the young Tim Söderlund from rivals Skellefteå AIK as well as snapping up Malmö Redhawks' sharp shooter Rhett Rakhshani. 30 year old American can challenge for top scorer on his best days.

HV71

The club from Jönköping will be unveiling a completely different team from last year with the loss of 19 (!) players, including 9 to the NHL, such as the top scoring defenseman from 2017/8, Lawerence Pilut now at Buffalo Sabres.

It's is difficult to know exactly where to start, but we can take one new defenseman and one new forward that have caught my interest.

First, if the return to the SHL of Swede, Andreas Thuresson. The 30 year old has played in 25 games for the Nashville Predators as well as games in the KHL and NLA. But has had most games in the AHL, mainly with Milwaukee Admirals, and can boast 139 points from his 350 games in North America's development league.

On defense they have recruited 24 year old Finnish international, Mikko Lehtonen. He has played at Junior World Championship, World Championship and Olympic level for his country and played a handful of games for HV71 in 2016 and has also played in the Champions Hockey League. Success at the Jönköping club could be the springboard to lucrative contracts in the NLA or KHL and maybe even follow in the footsteps of Pilut, who though undrafted is getting a shot at the NHL dream.

As a team it all depends on whether they can gel together, so HV71 will either be in contention for top places or completely explode. Can the players, management and fans handle it if they don't get instant success?

Färjestad BK

Färjestad had a surprisingly good season last year, finishing fourth in the league table. This year they have lost too many of their talented players to finish this high up. So I'm putting them outside the top six, therefore missing automatic playoff qualification.

Apart from losing three players to the NHL (including one of the seasons top finds in Michael Lindqvist, now with New York Rangers), they have also lost the seasoned veteran, Dick Axelsson.

That leaves players who are left , like Johan Ryno (pictured) with a lot to do.

New signings who will need to make a mark include Swede, Robin Press, who has been in North America for the last two years. Despite being drafted in 2013 by the Chicago Blackhawks, he was not able to get established in the AHL. But he has had a great season in the division below that last year where he scored 44 points, including 34 assists in only 52 matches.

Another new recruit is Finn, Tomi Sallinen. The 29 year old centre has experience from Europe's top leagues include Liiga, NLA, KHL as well as two previous years in the SHL. The Karlstad club will need to see him repeat his 0.67 Points Per Game he achieved then if they are to get into a playoff spot this year.

30 August sees the start of this year's Champions Hockey League.

The draw was done on 16 May by a group including managers Sam Hallam and Andrew Lord. These two will soon face each other again, but on opposing sides of the ice as their teams, Växjö Lakers and Cardiff Devils, ended up in the same group.

The groups are seeded, but with only two teams going forward naturally some groups might be easier than others. All four finals have seen Sweden against Finland with the result currently standing at 3-1 to the blue-and-golds.

My money is on Joel Lundqvist (above) and Frölunda Indians to take back the title but who will break the Nordic dominance in the competition?

Will it be Red Bull München who have four German Olympic Silver Medalists in their line up?

Or will the current CHL champions, Finnish JYP Jyväskylä, retain the trophy?

Here's a quick rundown of who should be going from the group stages into the knockout rounds to compete for European glory:

Group A

This should see Sweden's two times champions, Frölunda Indians and Swiss ZSC Zurich Lions through to the next round with teams from Denmark and Austria also in the group.

Group B

This group contains Sweden's Malmö Redhawks but is one of the most even groups with German, Red Bull München and Finnish, TPS Turku also looking to qualify. The final team in the group is Yunost Minsk (not to be confused with KHL team, Dianmo Minsk) from Belarus who also have potential to go forward if they can get results on the road.

Group C

This group should see Sweden's Skellefteå AIK and Finnish IFK Helsinki qualify against Polish and Italian opposition.

Group D

This is another wide open group where anything is possible. We will certainly see two teams who are not from Nordic nations in the quarterfinals as this group contains teams from Germany (EIsbären Berlin), Switzerland (EV Zug), Czech Republic and again, Belarus.

Group E

This group contains last year's surprise semifinalists, Oceláři Třinec, who only missed the final in a penalty shootout to eventual winners, JYP. The Czech team will be fighting it out with Sweden's Djurgården IF, Finnish Tappara and Norwegian, Storhamar. Whilst the group should be another even contest, the latter club may be the weakest of the four. However, they will be bolstered by the return to his youth team of one of the country's best ever players, 34 year old, Patrik Thoresen, who played for the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers in 2006-8.

Group F

Kärpät Oulu from Finland were seeded second and will be favourites to qualify from this group. Joining them, I think, will be the team from Czech Republic (Mountfield HK) with opposition coming clubs from Germany and France. But it is another chance for teams to get through to the knock out stages and upset the Nordic stranglehold on the cup.

Group G

Disappointingly for British hockey, Cardiff Devils are unlikely to qualify from the toughest group. They will again have to face Swedish champions, Växjö Lakers as well as SC Bern who won the regular season of the Swiss NLA as well as an Austrian side. The Lakers will probably be without top scorer, Elias Pettersson next season. But SC Bern have signed Jan Mursak from Frölunda Indians. The Slovenian scoring machine had a higher Points Per Game average than the young Swede in the SHL last season. Whilst the 19 year old will be playing his first game in the NHL in the autumn, the 30 year old can boast 46 games with the Detroit Red Wings as well as impressive stats from the AHL and KHL.

Group H

Reigning champions, JYP Jyväskylä from Finland should qualify from this group but behind them it will be a close contest between teams from the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The Swiss, who have yet to leave their mark on this European competition, will be represented by HC Lugano in this, the final group of the 2018-9 CHL competition.

For a full line up see:

https://www.championshockeylea...

Djurgården IF

Losing four players to the NHL gives you an idea of how talented this team were who came second in the league table last year.

Fortunately they’ve been able to keep hold of last season’s top keeper, Adam Reideborn (above).

This year they are also going to receive from the NHL with the former Buffalo Sabres centre, Jacob Josefson joining the squad. The Swede is returning to his junior club after 8 years in North America include 317 NHL games, mainly with New Jersey Devils who drafted him in 2009.

Despite the losses, the Stockholm club has also managed to sign two very talented players from SHL rivals. They are in the shape of Dick Axelsson and Jakob Lilja. Axelsson comes from a season in Färjestad BK where he scored 45 points in 48 games. He was born in Stockholm and returns to the club where he played his first ever SHL game in 2007.

25 year old Lilja leaves Linköping HC where he has played three seasons. Maturing with time, last season was his first at this level where he exceeded 0.50 Points Per Game, as well scoring the most short handed goals in the year.

Emil Bemström is also a new name to look out for, already drafted in 2017 by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now, after two Junior World Championships he moves to Stockholm from Leksand IF, where he has been since he was 16. Now the 19 year old centre will be playing his first full season in Sweden's top division.

I'm backing Djurgården IF for a top 6 place this season.