All EHL participants for the new season have been announced. As in past years, three men’s teams and two women’s teams are participating in field hockey’s Champions League on behalf of the Netherlands. The men’s teams of Bloemendaal and Kampong have to play preliminary rounds, while national champion Amsterdam is the only men’s team directly qualified for the ‘final 8’.
The latter also applies to Gantoise, which won the EHL last season. As Belgian champions, they are also sure of a spot in the final eight. English champion Surbiton and Crefeld – which was the best team in Germany – will also return to the Easter weekend. The team of captain Niklas Wellen is preparing for its first EHL participation since the 2007/2008 season. The Germans did not make it past the first round by the way.
Like the Netherlands, Belgium and England also send three teams. On behalf of our southern neighbors are, besides Gantoise, Royal Léopold – last year eliminated in the quarter-finals – and Braxgata of former international Pirmin Blaak. It will be the first EHL appearance of the team from Boom. Wimbledon and Old Georgians are the two other English teams. France gets a spot in the new season. As a result, the finalists of the French playoffs, Montrouge and Saint-Germain, are both represented in the upcoming EHL. Austria surrenders a spot and has only one more participant.

Source: EHL
The ladies: surprise from Hamburg, Scottish first
In the ladies, the four national champions of the best countries are also directly qualified for the quarter-finals. Besides Den Bosch, these are Club de Campo (Spain), Braxgata (Belgium) and the surprising German Harvestehuder. The club from Hamburg recently became champions for the first time in 52 years by dethroning titleholder Düsseldorfer. The runner-ups of the top leagues have to play an eighth final. That goes for SCHC, Gantoise, Mannheimer and Club Egara.
For the first time in women’s EHL history, a Scottish team is also competing. That honor goes to Watsonians from Edinburgh. Ukraine will no longer have a women’s team at the highest European level next season.

Source: EHL
by Hockey.nl