Intense ICE Weekend Ahead of the Break

Moser Medical Graz99ers – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Following a convincing road win in Pustertal, the Moser Medical Graz99ers return to Graz for two home games before the league break. With nine rounds remaining in the regular season, the Styrians have already secured their spot in the Playoffs and therefore enter the matchup against Pioneers Vorarlberg from a position of stability.

The season series so far clearly favours Graz, who have dropped only one point against the Vorarlberg side to date. Despite their current position in the standings, the visitors still retain a mathematical chance of reaching the Pre-Playoffs.

From a personnel standpoint, the situation remains tight for the Graz99ers. Several players are still sidelined, limiting the depth of the lineup once again for this home game.

Vienna Capitals – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
The Vienna Capitals face an intense home weekend ahead of the league break. Friday’s opener sees them take on HC TIWAG Innsbruck, the team currently sitting at the bottom of the standings. With the Capitals having slipped to eighth place, valuable points are on the line in the fight for the Pre-Playoff positions.

Under Head Coach Kevin Constantine, Vienna have shown solid form on home ice. Eight wins from their last eleven home games underline the importance of the STEFFL Arena as a key factor, while the Capitals have picked up points at home in every game since late December. Innsbruck, on the other hand, remain the league’s weakest road team and have not recorded an away win since early November.

The head-to-head record also favours Vienna, who have won each of the last seven meetings. The Tyrolean side has already been eliminated from Pre-Playoff contention and will focus on finishing the season on a positive note.

Olimpija Ljubljana – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Before the three-week league break, EC Red Bull Salzburg are set to face Olimpija Ljubljana for the fourth time this season. With five rounds remaining in the regular season, the battle for positioning remains tight, particularly in the race for a Champions Hockey League spot.

Salzburg travel to Slovenia full of confidence. The Red Bulls have suffered just two defeats in their last 19 games and are currently riding a three-game winning streak, including an away victory against league leaders Klagenfurt. In their most recent 4:0 win over Fehérvár, Salzburg impressed with a cohesive team performance despite several absences.

Olimpija Ljubljana have also found stability again. After a weaker stretch around the turn of the year, the Slovenians have recorded four straight wins and currently sit fifth in the standings. With fewer games played than some of their direct competitors, there is still room for further progress. Ljubljana remain the league’s most potent offensive team, leading the scoring charts with 152 goals, narrowly ahead of Salzburg and Klagenfurt. Defensively, Salzburg rank among the league’s most solid teams, while Ljubljana sit in the middle of the pack in goals against.

HC Falkensteiner Pustertal – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal host EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV on Friday at the Intercable Arena. While the South Tyroleans are firmly in the race for direct Playoff qualification, Villach are battling for crucial points in a tightly contested Pre-Playoff race.

Pustertal have collected five wins from their last seven games, although they suffered a heavy setback against Graz on Wednesday. Overall, the South Tyroleans have established themselves as one of the more defensively robust teams this season – despite conceding seven goals on Wednesday – and also boast strong special teams.

Villach arrive with renewed confidence following a 4:1 home win against the Vienna Capitals. The

Eagles showed significant defensive improvement in that outing and took an important step back into the Pre-Playoff positions. Consistency, however, remains the key factor, as their season has been marked by fluctuating performances.

The recent head-to-head record slightly favours Pustertal, particularly at the Intercable Arena, where Villach have remained pointless in recent visits. With both teams chasing key spots in the standings, important points are on the line.

Vienna Capitals – Pioneers Vorarlberg
On Saturday, the Capitals welcome Pioneers Vorarlberg, who also continue to harbour hopes of reaching the Pre-Playoffs. While Vienna have generally been successful at the STEFFL Arena of late, the Pioneers have proven to be a difficult opponent in recent head-to-head encounters.

Nevertheless, the home record favours the Capitals, who have won five of their seven home games against the Pioneers. The visitors have shown more inconsistent form on the road compared to their performances at home, but have managed to pick up points away from home in recent outings as well.

Moser Medical Graz99ers – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Graz conclude the weekend with their second home game within 24 hours, facing HC TIWAG Innsbruck on Saturday. While the Tyroleans remain anchored at the bottom of the standings, they are among the few teams to have defeated Graz twice already this season.

For the Graz99ers, this game presents another opportunity to collect important points before the break and to close out their home stand on a positive note. Marcus Vela returns to the lineup after serving his suspension, while additional personnel question marks remain.

win2day ICE Hockey League, 30. Jänner 2026:
18:30 Uhr Moser Medical Graz99ers – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: NAGY, SMETANA, Vaczi, Zacherl

19:15 Uhr Vienna Capitals – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: HRONSKY, STERNAT, Bedynek, Konc

19:15 Uhr Olympia Ljubljana – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Hribar, Zgonc

19:45 Uhr HC Falkensteiner Pustertal – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees:  NIKOLIC M., SCHAUER, Pardatscher, Rigoni

win2day ICE Hockey League, 31. Jänner 2026:
16:30 Uhr Vienna Capitals – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: NIKOLIC K., SIEGEL, Konc, Riecken

18:30 Uhr Moser Medical Graz99ers – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: GROZNIK, OFNER, Seewald, Wimmler

Alle Spiele LIVE auf Sporteurope.TV