For the second year in a row, a Swiss team has defeated a Swedish team in the Champions Hockey League final. On their home ice, the ZSC Lions defeated visiting Färjestad 2-1 before a sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich.

Färjestad outshot Zurich 32-30 but both goaltenders were sharp – Zurich’s Šimon Hrubec made 31 saves and Färjestad’s Maxime Lagacé stopped 28.

Sven Andrighetto, who played over 200 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, scored both goals for the Lions – his tournament-leading ninth and 10th goals of the season – to give his team a 2-0 lead before veteran Per Åslund got one back late for Färjestad.

“It feels amazing, especially because we’re at home,” said Zurich-born-and-raised Andrighetto. “We got to play the final and we had the crowd behind us all game long, pushing us. It’s an amazing atmosphere in here and we’re glad to have this moment with our fans.”

Andrighetto’s two points upped his CHL-leading point total to 22. After the game, he was presented the competition’s top scorer and MVP awards.

“I went into that game like everybody else – we wanted to win this game as a team,” Andrighetto continued. “It happened to be me who scored the goals but on another day it’s somebody else. It’s a whole-team effort so I’m really glad we got the victory tonight.”

The first goal came late in an evenly-played first period. With Zurich applying pressure, the puck was knocked off the stick of Rūdolfs Balcers but was lying loose in the slot for Andrighetto to backhand in.

The second goal came off the rush in the 33rd minute, with Denis Malgin and Balcers setting up the one-timer from Andrighetto that sailed over Lagacé’s glove on the short side.

Färjestad got some chances in the middle frame, though, hitting the post twice and then got the game’s first two power plays late in the period – including a 5-on-3 for 32 seconds – but were unable to capitalize.

But the third time was the charm for the Färjestad power play. With Malgin in the box for boarding, it took just six seconds to cash in – Åslund getting a stick on David Tomášek’s centering feed with 8:55 to go.

In the CHL, a power-play goal doesn’t end a penalty, but Färjestad was unable to beat Hrubec again in the remaining 1:54 of that power play, in the next one, or in the last two minutes with Lagacé on the bench for an extra attacker.

Hrubec dedicated the win to his uncle, who passed away on the morning of the final.

For Switzerland, it’s a second-straight CHL title after Genève-Servette did it last year. For Zurich, it’s a second European club championship after the team won the one-and-only season of the original Champions Hockey League in 2008-09. The only remaining player from that team is 35-year-old defenseman Patrick Geering, who’s now the team captain.

“When you get older, you can’t remember that much from 15, 16 years ago,” Geering smiled. “It’s nice to have a refreshing memory.”

“I’m really proud of my team,” said Zurich coach Marco Bayer. “It was a tough game, we expected a tight game, and I’m really happy to win this title here in front of our fans. This is an unbelievable feeling.”

Bayer took over as head coach of the team in late December after the sudden resignation of Marc Crawford for mental health reasons.

“That’s another story, yeah?” Bayer said about the success he’s had since taking the reigns of the Lions. “The two games in the semi-finals against Geneva and now here tonight and I’ve already got a title – that’s great for me too.”

But as many of the players mentioned, there’s not much time to celebrate as the domestic league regular season is still ongoing. Zurich resumes its National League schedule on Saturday against EV Zug while Färjestad’s turnaround is even tighter – a flight back to Sweden and an SHL game against Skellefteå AIK on Thursday.

Färjestad sits fourth in the SHL standings but only one point out of second with nine regular-season games remaining. It’s the playoffs that really matter, though – Färjestad qualified for this season’s CHL by winning the regular season last year but was then swept in the quarterfinals. Zurich, on the other hand, is the reigning National League champion in Switzerland and currently sits second in the standings with five regular-season games remaining.

Recent European Club Championship Finals

Champions Hockey League

2024-25: ZSC Lions Zurich (SUI) 2 – Färjestad Karlstad (SWE) 1
2023-24: Genève-Servette (SUI) 3 – Skellefteå AIK (SWE) 2
2022-23: Tappara Tampere (FIN) 3 – Luleå HF (SWE) 2
2021-22: Rögle Ängelholm (SWE) 2 – Tappara Tampere (FIN) 1
2020-21: Season cancelled
2019-20: Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE) 3 – Mountfield Hradec Králové (CZE) 1
2018-19: Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE) 3 – Red Bull Munich (GER) 1
2017-18: JYP Jyväskylä (FIN) 2 – Växjö Lakers (SWE) 0
2016-17: Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE) 4 – Sparta Prague (CZE) 3 [OT]
2015-16: Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE) 2 – Kärpät Oulu (FIN) 1
2014-15: Luleå HF (SWE) 4 – Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE) 2

2008-09: ZSC Lions Zurich 7 (SUI) – Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS) 2 (two-game aggregate score)

European Champions Cup

2007-08: Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS) 5 – Sparta Prague (CZE) 2
2006-07: Ak Bars Kazan (RUS) 6 – HPK Hämeenlinna (FIN) 0
2005-06: Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 5 – Kärpät Oulu (FIN) 4 [SO]
2004-05: Avangard Omsk (RUS) 2 – Kärpät Oulu (FIN) 1 [OT]

European Hockey League

1999-2000: Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS) 2 – Sparta Prague (CZE) 0
1998-99: Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS) 2 – Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 1 [OT]
1997-98: VEU Feldkirch (AUT) 5 – Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 3
1996-97: TPS Turku (FIN) 5 – Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 2

European Cup

1996-97: Lada Togliatti (RUS) 4 – MoDo Örnsköldsvik (SWE) 3 [OT]
1995-96: Jokerit Helsinki (FIN) 4 – Kölner Haie (GER) 3 [SO]
1994-95: Jokerit Helsinki (FIN) 4 – Lada Togliatti (RUS) 2
1993-94: TPS Turku (FIN) 4 – Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 3
1992-93: Malmö IF (SWE) 4 – Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 3 [SO]
1991-92: Djurgården Stockholm (SWE) 7 – Düsseldorfer EG (GER) 2
1990-91: Djurgården Stockholm (SWE) 3 – Dynamo Moscow (URS) 2