It’s EHL week as the world’s best club competition back for a 20th season with men’s ROUND1 hitting the turf at HC Oranje-Rood in Eindhoven from Friday, October 9th to Sunday, October 11th.
For this edition, the competition returns to a group format with four groups of three teams with only one from each advancing to next Easter’s FINAL12.
The first of those group to hit the ground is Pool A which features newcomers Edinburgh University from Scotland, France’s Lille MHC and Austria’s SV Arminen.
Here’s how the teams line-up:
Pool A – meet the teams
Edinburgh University (SCO)
- Qualified as Scottish champions
- 1st EHL appearance
- Current league form: 3rd place – two wins and a draw
Edinburgh University will make their EHL debut in Eindhoven in October, becoming the fifth different Scottish men’s club to play in the competition.
It follows their memorable run to the Scottish title, culminating in their 3-1 Grand Final win over Western Wildcats last spring. That success sets the scene perfectly as they celebrate their 125th anniversary this season.
Their side is powered by Jamie Golden who had a red-hot summer as he top-scored at the EuroHockey Championship qualifiers in Rome, adding to the top scorer prize he won at the World Cup qualifiers – he now has 57 goals in 51 international caps.
It will be his second event in Eindhoven; Golden and head of performance Neil Allan – who is also the Scottish head coach – were both involved with Menzieshill at the 2019 EHL KO16 at Oranje-Rood.
They head up a large international contingent. Jamie Croll and Keir Robb were also in Rome for the Euro qualifiers where they won gold along with Jamie Green.
Find out more: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/edinburgh-university-mens-hc/
Lille MHC (FRA)
- Qualified as French champions
- 6th EHL appearance
- Best finish – 9th place (2024/25)
- Current league form: 3rd place – two wins and a draw
French champions Lille Métropole HC return to the EHL after reclaiming the national title in dramatic fashion, defeating Racing Club de France in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in the French championship final.
Lille held their nerve in a marathon shoot-out, with Park Junseok eventually firing home the winning effort to secure the club’s 17th French championship and complete a memorable domestic double for the club along with their women’s side.
That triumph, however, marked the end of an era for several of Lille’s homegrown stars. Club icons Brieuc Delemazure, Malo Martinache and Gaspard Denis moving on to major European clubs.
Coming in are Jonas Mahé from Racing Club de France; forward Léo Beaunieux from Girondins de Bordeaux; French youth internationals Pierre Piot, Raphaël Couture and Clément Mourcia. Lille also welcome back Arthur Golliot from Iris Hockey Lambersart, a former French champion with the club.
And Japanese international Koji Yamasaki adds to their line-up for the new season as a real number nine up front.
Find out more: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/lille-mhc-3/
SV Arminen (AUT)
- Qualified as Austrian champions
- 9th EHL appearance
- Best finish: 7th place (2021/22)
- Current league form: 1st place – three wins, one draw
SV Arminen will play in the EHL for the ninth time following their incredible 10-0 final win over Post SV in last year’s Austrian championship final. It secured the club’s 22nd outdoor title and their 50th in total when combined with indoor.
This current vintage is coached by Darren Cheesman who played in several EHL campaigns with East Grinstead and Reading before coaching took him to Germany and then Austria.
His panel features Florian Hackl, Florian Hagen, Benjamin Kelner, Max Kelner, Oskar Rathkolb, Christoph Sandbichler, Moritz Zotter and Florian Steyrer who are all part of the current Austrian setup. Mateusz Nyckowiak makes his return to his boyhood club Arminen after stints with Post SV and Blau-Weiß Berlin in the last couple of years.
Find out more: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/sv-arminen-6/
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