Latvia defenceman Rubīns and top seeds Plzeň start Champions Hockey League knockout stage in Davos

Kristiāns Rubīns and the Czech club HC Škoda Plzeň begin the Champions Hockey League (CHL) round of 16 against HC Davos in Switzerland on Tuesday evening. The game starts at 20:45 Riga time. The return leg is in Plzeň on 17 November, and the team that is ahead over the two games reaches the quarter-finals.

First against 16th

In the regular stage of the CHL, Europe's top club competition, 24 teams played in a single table. Each played six games against six different opponents, and the best 16 went through. Plzeň were flawless: six wins in regulation, 30 goals scored and 12 conceded, 18 points and first place. Davos collected eight points from two regulation wins, one overtime win and three defeats, and qualified in 16th, the last place in the round of 16.

That is why the bracket pairs first with 16th. The regular-stage winners also have the advantage of playing the deciding second leg at home.

From the national team straight to Switzerland

Last week Rubīns played for Latvia at the Deutschland Cup in Germany. He set up two goals in the 3-1 win over Germany on Saturday, 7 November, but missed the final game against Austria on Sunday. Head coach Harijs Vītoliņš said the defenceman had to return to his club. Latvia won the tournament anyway.

Rubīns has played for Plzeň since the summer of 2024, when he joined from the Swedish club MoDo.

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