Release from 25.02.2026
On the third-to-last matchday of the regular season, league leaders EC-KAC and second-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers secured their tickets for the upcoming Champions Hockey League season. Klagenfurt earned a convincing 7:2 home win over Innsbruck, while the 99ers defeated Vienna 5:2. In addition, EC Red Bull Salzburg celebrated a 6:2 away victory at Fehérvár, Olimpija Ljubljana won in a shootout against Bozen, and HC Falkensteiner Pustertal claimed a narrow 4:3 away win at the Pioneers.
KAC qualifies for the CHL with a commanding home win
League leaders EC-KAC, who remain one point ahead of Graz, left bottom-placed HC TIWAG Innsbruck no chance in their 7:2 home victory, securing their Champions Hockey League spot for the third consecutive season. In front of 3,800 fans, Raphael Herburger put the hosts ahead in the fourth minute. After 14 minutes it was 3:1, and by the 33rd minute, KAC had extended the lead to 5:1. Two more goals followed in the final period, while Innsbruck managed one more, with no player scoring twice. In the fourth meeting of the season, KAC celebrated their third win over Innsbruck.
Graz comes from behind to claim CHL ticket
Alongside KAC, Moser Medical Graz99ers also qualified for the Champions Hockey League. The third CHL spot will go to the champion of the win2day ICE Hockey League 2025/26, or, if KAC or Graz win the title, to the third-placed team in the regular season. Against the Vienna Capitals, the 99ers fell behind 0:2, as they had already done on Sunday against KAC, but came back to win 5:2. It was Vienna’s first home defeat after four straight wins. Eleven minutes in, the Capitals led 2:0, but just one and a half minutes later Graz pulled one back. In the 38th minute, Michael Schiechl scored a brilliant goal to put the 99ers ahead. Nico Feldner sealed the victory in the 51st minute, and Schiechl added an empty-net goal to make the final score.
Salzburg with decisive away win – Fehérvár fights to stay in top ten
EC Red Bull Salzburg won convincingly 6:2 at Hydro Fehérvár AV19, holding onto third place in the table. Fehérvár must continue to fight for the Pre-Playoffs: as tenth, they have just a one-point lead over Budapest, with a local rivalry match still to come on the last matchday. The Hungarians started strong, taking the lead in the 8th minute, but Salzburg responded and pulled ahead 3:1 by the 17th minute. After the first period, Fehérvár trailed 2:3. In the second period, Salzburg restored their two-goal advantage in the 28th minute. The 5:2 goal in the 49th minute proved decisive, and Mario Huber added the final goal shorthanded in the 56th minute. Six different Salzburg players appeared on the scoresheet.
Ljubljana wins in shootout against Bolzano
Olimpija Ljubljana celebrated a 4:3 shootout victory over HCB Südtirol Alperia. Fifth-placed Ljubljana reduced the gap to fourth-placed Bozen to three points, but with only one game remaining and a lost head-to-head, fifth place is their maximum finish. Bolzano got off to a better start, taking a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute with a shorthanded goal by Brad McClure. Ljubljana equalized two minutes later, only for Bolzano to regain the lead two minutes after that. In the 26th minute, T.J. Brennan tied the game for the hosts. In the 51st minute, Rok Kapel put Ljubljana ahead, but Cole Schneider equalized just 16 seconds before the final buzzer. In the shootout, Marcel Mahkovec converted the decisive penalty.
Pustertal wins narrow away game
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal celebrated a narrow 4:3 away victory at Pioneers Vorarlberg. Mikael Frycklund scored the decisive goal thirteen minutes from the end. At one point, the Pioneers led 2:1 after Luca Erne scored twice. It was the sixth-placed Pustertal’s third win of the season against the twelfth-placed Pioneers.
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Wed, 25.02.2026:
Vienna Capitals – Moser Medical Graz99ers 2:5 (2:1, 0:2, 0:2)
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Bedynek, Riecken
Goals VIC: 1:0 Gregoire J. (7.), 2:0 Franklin Z. (11./PP1)
Goals G99: 2:1 Conley K. (13.), 2:2 Haudum L. (30.), 2:3 Schiechl M. (38.), 2:4 Feldner N. (51.), 2:5 Schiechl M. (60.)
EC-KAC – HC TIWAG Innsbruck 7:2 (3:1, 2:0, 2:1)
Referees: STERNAT, UNTERWEGER, Puff, Zacherl
Goals KAC: 1:0 Herburger R. (4.), 2:1 Moyle N. (12./PP1), 3:1 From M. (14.), 4:1 Murray J. (25.), 5:1 Fraser M. (33.), 6:2 Unterweger C. (53./PP1), 7:2 Petersen N. (55./PP1)
Goals HCI: 1:1 Coatta M. (7./PP1), 5:2 Benker S. (41.)
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:6 (2:3, 0:1, 0:2)
Referees: GEBEI, SMETANA, Durmis, Konc
Goals AVS: 1:0 Messner J. (8.), 2:3 Gerlach M. (19.)
Goals RBS: 1:1 Raffl M. (11./PP1), 1:2 St. Denis T. (14.), 1:3 Bourke T. (17.), 2:4 Corcoran C. (28./PP1), 2:5 Coe B. (49.), 2:6 Huber M. (56./SH1)
Olimpija Ljubljana – HCB Südtirol Alperia 4:3/SO (1:2, 1:0, 1:1, 0:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., OFNER, Nothegger, Zgonc
Goals OLL: 1:1 Drozg J. (13.), 2:2 Brennan T. (26.), 3:2 Kapel R. (52.), 3:2 Mahkovec M. (65./SO)
Goals HCB: 0:1 McClure B. (10./SH1), 1:2 Gennaro M. (15.), 3:3 Schneider C. (60.)
Pioneers Vorarlberg – HC Falkensteiner Pustertal 3:4 (2:1, 1:2, 0:1)
Referees: KAINBERGER, NIKOLIC K., Fleischmann, Strimitzer
Goals PIV: 1:0 Erne L. (3.), 2:1 Erne L. (17.), 3:3 Tschofen M. (32./PP1)
Goals HCP: 1:1 Saracino N. (9./PP1), 2:2 Ticar R. (23.), 2:3 Di Tomaso G. (24./PP1), 3:4 Frycklund M. (48.)