Release from 17.06.2026

AHL Forum sets course for the 2026/27 season

Short text 436 CharactersPlain text

In preparation for the 2026/27 season, the clubs, national federations, league management, and the Board of Governors of the Alps Hockey League met via video conference on Tuesday. The online forum addressed, among other topics, the league lineup and competition format. The eleventh AHL season will once again feature 13 teams. While the EC-KAC Future Team returns to the league, Bregenzerwald will not participate in the championship.

Press release 2842 CharactersPlain text

In April, HC Gherdeina valgardena.it captured the Alps Hockey League title for the first time. The South Tyroleans finished only eleventh in the regular season before going on an impressive run and defeating HC Meran/o Pircher in a sensational final. Overall, the championship proved highly competitive: nearly 52 percent of all games were decided by a one-goal margin. In addition, 286,604 fans attended games across the 13 clubs’ arenas—an increase of nearly 50,000 compared to the previous season. On average, more fans than ever before watched their teams live in the arenas.

13 teams again in 2026/27
To build on this success, Alps Hockey League officials convened for an online forum on Tuesday. The meeting, which covered various topics and finalized the key framework conditions for the 2026/27 season, was marked by a very positive and constructive atmosphere. All participants clearly reaffirmed their commitment to the Alps Hockey League.

The eleventh AHL season will once again feature 13 teams. After a two-year absence, the EC-KAC Future Team returns to the league. The Klagenfurt-based club will compete with a young roster in the 2026/27 season, underlining the AHL’s importance as an ideal platform for developing talented players and preparing them for the professional level. Meanwhile, Bregenzerwald informed the league that it will not take part in the upcoming season.

Format remains unchanged
The 2026/27 regular season begins on September 19 and will again be played in a one-and-a-half round-robin format, with 36 games per team. The top five teams advance to the Master Round, receive bonus points (4–3–2–1–0), and face each other twice to determine their positions for the quarterfinal pick. These five teams are automatically qualified for the playoffs after the regular season.

The remaining eight teams (places 6–13) are split into two Qualification Rounds and also receive bonus points (3–2–1–0). After a single round-robin, the three best-ranked teams from the qualification groups compete in a best-of-three series for the remaining three playoff spots. All subsequent playoff rounds are played in a best-of-seven format.

Nicolas Stockhammer, Chairman of the AHL Board of Governors, said: “The forum is an important platform for exchanging ideas with all stakeholders and making strategic decisions for the continued success of the Alps Hockey League. Last season was highly successful in every respect: the level of play was high and well-balanced, and we aim to build on that in the coming season. Our goal remains to serve as a model for the organization of a multinational league and to provide young players with an ideal platform for development. The return of the KAC Future Team underlines that this path is highly valued by the clubs.”