Champions Cup 2025 began on Friday with the first Northern Conference quarterfinal match between Pixbo IBK and Esport Oilers and continued on Saturday with Nokian KrP meeting Storvreta IBK. Finnish teams Oilers and Nokian KrP won the first matches but re-matches are just around the corner.
ALL MATCH REPLAYS, HIGHLIGHTS, AND STATISTICS AVAILABLE ON THE IFF APP!
Pixbo IBK v Esport Oilers
Swedish Cup winners Pixbo and the defending Finnish champions Oilers met in Wallenstam Arena on Friday evening. Elias Pekari started the scoring for Oilers after 7 minutes of play but otherwise first period stayed even. The period was also pretty duff due to penalties and things getting heated at times.
Things took a turn in the second period when Gustav Lindberg scored for Pixbo after only 21 seconds of play. Few minutes later Gustav Fritzell scored from a great pass from Linus Nestorsson. Felix Lanver scored one more goal and after an own goal from Oilers, the match was 4-1 for the hosts. But Oilers did not give up. First Aaro Astala got all the space in front of the goal and scored from a rebound. Then Antti Suomela was successful on Oilers powerplay and the game was 4-3 Oilers being just one goal away.
Oilers captain Justus Kainulainen stepped up when needed the most and equalised the score at 40:13. And he didn’t stop there. Kainulainen went on to score two more in the third period and Oilers dominated the last period winning it 6-0. In addition to hat-trick hero Kainulainen, the “teeny weeny terrier” Santeri Lindfors scored two goals in the final period. Final score 9-4 for Oilers – first Champions Cup game and first win!
Pixbo IBK v Esport Oilers game replay and highlights
Esport Oilers v Pixbo IBK on Saturday 31st August at 14.30 in Tapiolan Urheiluhalli
Nokian KrP v Storvreta
Nokian KrP welcomed the Swedish champions and 757 spectators to their new home arena in Nokia on Saturday. The match stayed even from the start but Nokian KrP got the first goal – and it was the captain Joona Rantala who scored it.
Luukas Hyvärinen, who has just transferred from OLS to Nokian KrP, scored the second goal for KrP but when Storvreta got on powerplay, they did not miss their chance – Filip Langer assists and Gabriel Kohonen strikes. But Nokian KrP were not scared by that. Captain Rantala scored his second in the game, but also Storvreta put their game-face on. Ondrej Nemecek made it 2-3 and Viktor Nystedt equalised with a precise post-to-post shot.
Thrilling 40 minutes had passed and the atmosphere in Nokia was expecting. KrP fans had been loud throughout the game and they still had the energy to keep going. That definitely helped the home team. Juuso Ahola scored on powerplay and took hosts back to the lead. But Storvreta and captain Otto Weidman equalised quickly and only 26 seconds later Kohonen scored his second in the game. But Ahola scored again and the game was 5-5. And on the 56th minute, Nokian KrP got a free hit and Vili Liponen celebrated after scoring the winning goal. Final score 6-5. All goals for Nokian KrP were scored by their first line – and especially Juuso Ahola and Luukas Hyvärinen had a big role in those goals.
Nokian KrP v Storvreta IBK game replay and highlights
Storvreta IBK v Nokian KrP on Thursday 29th August at 18.30 in IFU Arena
