NOTTINGHAM Panthers truly are the rank outsiders in the Champions Hockey League after being seeded last out of 44 teams.
With 100 days left to the first puck dropping on August 21, the competition has announced the club ranking and the four seeding baskets for the group stage draw, which will take place next Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus.
Panthers took their place in Europe's premier cup after Belfast Giants turned down the opportunity.
The national champions and regular season winners from the six founding leagues are in the first basket. Wild card clubs from the challenge leagues(Slovakia, Norway, France, Denmark, Great Britain) are in the fourth basket.
The club ranking prior to the CHL's opening season is based on the club's placing in the domestic league, combined with their country's position in the IIHF World Ranking.
The draw will be random, but with a rule that two clubs from the same country cannot be drawn into the same group.
Seedings - First Basket: 1. Skellefteå AIK (SWE), 2. Kärpät Oulu (FIN), 3. PSG Zlin (CZE), 4. ZSC Lions Zurich (SUI), 5. ERC Ingolstadt (GER), 6. Südtirol Bolzano (ITA), 7. Sparta Prague (CZE), 8. Hamburg Freezers (GER), 9. Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), 10. Frölunda Gothenburg (SWE), 11. Tappara Tampere (FIN).
Second Basket: 12. Ocelari Trinec (CZE), 13. Fribourg-Gottéron (SUI), 14. Krefeld Pinguine (GER), 15. Färjestad Karlstad (SWE), 16. Kloten Flyers (SUI), 17. Köln Haie (GER), 18. Växjö Lakers (SWE), 19. Lukko Rauma (FIN), 20. Villach SV (AUT), 21. Linköping HC (SWE), 22. SaiPa Lappeenranta (FIN).
Third Basket: 23. Geneva Servette (SUI), 24. Vienna Capitals (AUT), 25. Adler Mannheim (GER), 26. JYP Jyväskylä (FIN), 27. Luleå Hockey (SWE), 28. HC Pardubice (CZE), 29. Vitkovice Ostrava (CZE), 30. Eisbären Berlin (GER), 31. IFK Helsinki (FIN), 32. Bili Tygri Liberec (CZE), 33. SC Bern (SUI).
Fourth Basket: 34. HV71 Jönköping (SWE), 35. EV Zug (SUI), 36. TPS Turku (FIN), 37. KalPa Kuopio (FIN), 38. Djurgården Stockholm (SWE), 39. Stavanger Oilers (NOR), 40. HC Kosice (SVK), 41. Briancon Diables Rouge (FRA), 42. SonderjyskE Vojens (DEN), 43. Vålerenga Oslo (NOR), 44. Nottingham Panthers (GBR).
