The 93rd Spengler Cup will begin on December 26th with two big highlights. At 3.00 pm the Russian top club and title contender Salavat Yulaev Ufa will open the tournament against the strong HC Ambri-Piotta. And at 8.15 p.m. Team Canada and Ocelari Trinec, two more favorites for the final, will face off.

Salvat Yulaev Ufa has clearly declared their ambitions. On December 23rd they defeated leader AK Bars Kazan 4:3 in extra time in the KHL championshipgame in Davos. The overtime lasted only ten seconds before Philip Larsen scored on a pass from Linus Omark. Ufa's Captain Omark said after the victory: "It was great to play a KHL match in front of such a great crowd in the Alps. The game was hard fought. For us, the victory was important after our recent performances, which had been a little mixed. Now we have the certainty that we are ready for the Spengler Cup. Omark is looking forward to the tournament. He knows what he is talking about as he played with Jokerit Helsinki at the Spengler Cup in 2014.  "It is a great honor for me to be part of this tournament. After all, it is the oldest and most popular club tournament in the world. The atmosphere at the Spengler Cup is unique. It's really fun to play," said the Swede.  But Salavat Julaev Ufa doesn't just want to have fun, they want to reach for the cup.

HC Ambri-Piotta will be competing in the Spengler Cup as a tournament newcomer. The Ticino team intends to show their appreciation for the invitation with their dedicated and compact performance on the ice. The team of Swiss Coach Luca Cereda is in excellent shape. They lost against HC Davos on Monday evening - but only in the penalty shootout. Ambri has previously won the Swiss Championship five times in a row. For the Spengler Cup, the team will be strengthened by the Canadian Wojtek Wolski - who played 480 NHL matches and most recently played for Kunlun in the KHL - by two Servette Geneva strikers Floran Douay and Marco Miranda, and Fribourg-Gottéron goalkeeper Ludovic Waeber.

As usual, Team Canada celebrated Christmas in Davos before they begin the quest for their 16th Spengler Cup victory on the evening of December 26th. As in years past, the backbone of the team is made up of players who are involved with Swiss National League clubs. It is a special honor for each Canadian to wear the national jersey with the maple leaf on their chests. With the appropriate passion and pride the players – and the entire staff – fight for the win in each game.

Ocelari Trinec made their debut at the Spengler Cup one year ago. The Czechs took the momentum and game rhythm from Davos with them and became National Champions at the end of their season. After Trinec's good performance at their Spengler Cup premiere – unfortunately, losing all three games by a narrow margin - they now intend to compete with greater ambitions. Defender Martin Gernat says: "We are trying to do much better than last year. It's important for us to be able to play in the great atmosphere of this traditional tournament with its strong teams. If we reach the final, it would be perfect for us.” In their first game against Team Canada, Ocelar Trinec intends to lay the first stepping stone on their path to the final.

Text: Spengler Cup-Online  Foto: Keystone