Release from 31.12.2020

2021 kicks off with five games

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For the twelfth time, January 1st is a gameday in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League. Five games are scheduled for 5:30 pm to start the new hockey year. Hydro Fehérvár AV19 and the spusu Vienna Capitals have targeted the preliminary season sweep against their upcoming opponents, the Moser Medical Graz99ers and the EC-KAC meet each other "back-to-back", while the fourth "West Derby" takes place. The duel between EC Red Bull Salzburg and leader HCB Südtirol Alperia will be played for the second time this season.

Sky Sport Austria will broadcast Graz against Klagenfurt live starting at 5:20 pm. Salzburg's home game will be offered as a free live stream at redbulls.com/livestream, while the remaining three games will be available as pay-per-view video streams at live.ice.hockey. 

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Bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | Friday, January 1st:
Fr, 01.01.2021, 5.30 pm: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – Steinbach Black Wings 1992
Referees: NAGY, SOOS, Kis-Kiraly, Nemeth. | >> PPV-STREAM <<

  • Second in the table Hydro Fehérvár AV19 gave up their winning streak in the "old year": On December 30th, the Hungarians lost 1:4 at home to the spusu Vienna Capitals and missed their tenth win in a row. It was only the second time this season that AVS lost a home game with more than one goal difference.
  • The Steinbach Black Wings 1992 gave away a two-goal lead in Villach on the last matchday of 2020, eventually losing 3:4 and remain in last place in the table.
  • In the defeat, Andrew Kozek returned to the scoresheet after 16 pointless and 20 scoreless games, scoring two goals. The Canadian has always scored more than 21 goals per season so far in his ICE tenure.
  • AVS has won each of its first three season duels with BWI, conceding just two goals in the process. The Hungarians won the last meeting 2:0 on December 28th.
  • AVS are two goals short of becoming the first team - albeit with 29 games already played - to reach 100 goals for the season.
  • BWI has failed to win any of its last five games against AVS.
  • AVS has won 17 of its 33 home games against BWI.
  • Fehérvár has only played a home game twice on January 1st - winning both. In 2010, it defeated Linz 3-2 after shootout. The record on New Year's Day of AVS is four wins and seven losses, that of BWI is 6/5.
  • For BWI player Andreas Kristler the season is over due to injury. His upper body injury suffered on December 10th required surgery.

Fr, 01.01.2021, 5.30 pm: iClinic Bratislava Capitals – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: BALUSKA, HRONSKY, Jedlicka, Konc. | >> PPV-STREAM << | live RTVS2

  • The duel between the iClinic Bratislava Capitals and the spusu Vienna Capitals will also take place on New Year's Day for the fourth time this season. All three duels the Viennese could claim for themselves.
  • While the league newcomers were not engaged on December 30, VIC ended Fehérvár's winning streak with a 4:1 road win.
  • Third-placed Vienna was the only top-four team to celebrate a win on December 30th.
  • Vienna has won eight of its 11 games on a January 1st so far. It lost its only two away games, however.
  • VIC won four of its last five games away from home. BRC has lost its last two games.
  • Vienna holds a similar winning percentage at the turn of the year as it did in the same period in 2019, with head coach Dave Cameron's cracks winning 16 of 26 league games so far this season (60%). In the past season, the Capitals stood at 19 wins from 30 games on New Year's Eve (63%).

Fr, 01.01.2021, 5.30 pm: Moser Medical Graz99ers – EC-KAC
Referees: BULOVEC, TRILAR, Riecken, Zgonc. | >> SKY SPORT AUSTRIA <<

  • The Moser Medical Graz99ers and the EC-KAC meet each other "back-to-back" on New Year's Day. The Grazers won the duel on December 30th in Klagenfurt after overtime with 2:1.
  • This means that the third duel of the season between these two teams has also been won by the away team.
  • The Graz coaching duo of Jens Gustafsson and Patrick Harand were thus able to celebrate a victory on their debut. It was the first success for G99 after last three defeats in a row.
  • On home ice, G99 has lost its last two games. KAC has always scored in its last six away games, only once leaving the ice as loser (4:5 SO @AVS).
  • Graz has won 46 of 134 duels against each other.
  • The record on New Year's Day of G99 is slightly positive with 6/5. There have been four recent wins at home on January 1st and Graz has always scored in home games on January 1st against EC-KAC (5:3 in 2012, 1:2 SO in 2014, 3:2 SO in 2020).
  • The KAC has won four of 11 games on January 1st, but has only won twice away from home (out of seven).
  • The 99ers will still have to play without Daniel Oberkofler, Ben Bowns (both injured) and Clemens Krainz or Jacob Pfeffer (both U20 national team).
  • The Carinthians left Graz without one point in only four of their last 18 appearances.
  • David Fischer, Niki Kraus and Valentin Hammerle are missing, while David Madlener is healthy again and thus returns to the line-up. Marcel Witting will return to the line-up.

Fr, 01.01.2021, 5.30 pm: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie – Dornbirn Bulldogs
Referees: BERNEKER, RUTZE, Seewald, Tschrepitsch. | >> PPV-STREAM <<

  • The last “West-Derby” for the time being this season takes place in Innsbruck. HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie, which has lost four games in a row and is in eighth place, will welcome the fifth-placed Dornbirn Bulldogs.
  • The team from Vorarlberg inflicted its only third defeat after regular season play on the league leader HCB Südtirol Alperia on the last gameday this season.
  • The three Derbies so far this season have been high-scoring (8 goals on average). In the first two, the Tyrolean side prevailed, in the last - December 26 - the Vorarlberg team.
  • Twice these two teams have faced each other on January 1st - twice the home team prevailed by shutout.
  • HCI's New Year's record is even at 4/4. DEC has lost six of its eight New Year's Day games, though has never won one away from home.
  • The HCI vs. DEC matchup first occurred on Sept. 9th, 2012, and the two teams have dueled 45 times since then, with DEC holding a narrow lead with 23 wins.
  • HCI has always scored in the last seven home games against DEC, celebrating five wins. The last DEC win in Innsbruck after regular time was on December 28th, 2017 (1:2).

Fr, 01.01.2021, 5.30 pm: EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Kontschieder, Nothegger. | >> FREE-LIVESTREAM <<

  • While the other four games on the first gameday of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League are already taking place for the fourth time, EC Red Bull Salzburg and HCB Südtirol Alperia are dueling for only the second time.
  • The lone duel between these two teams so far was won by Bolzano 2:0 on December 26th.
  • After that defeat, Salzburg put in two strong performances, first dominating Dornbirn (4:1) and then Innsbruck (5:1).
  • Rick Schofield (11G | 14A) has found form, scoring twice in both games. That makes him Salzburg's best-scoring player.
  • HCB suffered only its third loss of the season after regulation on Wednesday in Dornbirn (1:2).
  • Twice these two teams have faced off on January 1st, with each team picking up a win.
  • RBS has won eight of eleven New Year's Day duels. HCB only three of seven.
  • Of 51 games so far, RBS has won 29. RBS has always scored in its last five home games against HCB, losing only once.
  • To start the new year, RBS must continue to miss Jack Skille, Alexander Rauchenwald, Aljaz Predan and Filip Varejcka convalescent. Defender Dominique Heinrich and forward Paul Huber are fit again, but the decision on their deployment is still open. Julian Lutz could also be back. John Peterka (GER) and Tim Harnisch (AUT) are missing due to their participation in the U20 World Championship in Canada.