Release from 30.01.2025

KAC can qualify for the playoffs on Friday

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League leaders EC-KAC face the Moser Medical Graz99ers at home on Friday, the Red Jackets could even be the first team to secure a playoff ticket. While EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV wants to move closer to the top 6 in Salzburg, the spusu Vienna Capitals and Olimpija Ljubljana are on a road trip - both teams are also in action on Saturday.

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EC-KAC - Moser Medical Graz99ers
In its last home game before the second international break of the season, the EC-KAC welcomes the Moser Medical Graz99ers to the Heidi Horten Arena, which is sold out for the eighth time in a row. The league leaders have the opportunity to qualify for the 2025 playoffs. To do so, the Red Jackets need to record one more point than VSV in the parallel game at Salzburg. After three wins in a row recently, fifth-placed Graz are also on a stable course towards early play-off qualification. Head coach Harald Lange's side has been particularly impressive away from home so far this season: they are one of only three teams in the league to have scored more points away from home (40) than at home (37). This will be the 150th direct encounter between the two clubs, with the historical record clearly in favour of the Red Jackets with 98 wins compared to 51 (with 520:356 goals). This season, however, the Styrians have won two of the three duels so far.

EC Red Bull Salzburg - EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
VSV have not made it easy for the Red Bulls this season. Only after two initial defeats were the Salzburg team able to record their first win of the season on 17 January in Villach. This game was more or less the beginning of a series in which the Red Bulls regularly had to do without many injured regular players. The absences were compensated for by a number of courageous young academy players, coupled with a cohesive team performance. This resulted in four wins from the last five games and third place in the table. Villach have won three in a row recently, but the seventh-placed Carinthians are still three points behind the top six. With 152 goals scored, VSV have the second-strongest offence in the league: Maxi Rebernig, Kevin Hancock and Chase Pearson are mainly responsible, having scored more than a third of all Villach goals with 22, 19 and 17 respectively.

HCB Südtirol Alperia - spusu Vienna Capitals
Three defeats from the last four games have seen Bolzano drop to fourth place. With 36 points (14 goals + 22 assists), former Capitals forward Matt Bradley is the Foxes' top scorer. The Canadian shares the top spot in the team's internal scoring rankings with Anthony Salinitri. The sole leader in terms of save percentage is Sam Harvey. The 26-year-old Canadian leads the win2day ICE Hockey League with a save percentage of 92.8 per cent. The spusu Vienna Capitals put themselves in a good starting position in the battle for the pre-playoffs with a 4:3 overtime win over HC Pustertal on Tuesday. Gerry Fleming's team currently has a nine-point lead over the eleventh-placed Pioneers Vorarlberg. Although the Foxes won the first two meetings, the last encounter went to the Viennese side 3:2 on 22 December 2024.

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Olimpija Ljubljana
Bottom team Innsbruck sold themselves dearly against champions Salzburg (2:2 after 40 minutes), but ultimately suffered their sixth defeat in a row. Ljubljana returned to eighth place on Tuesday with an overtime win over Bolzano. However, the Slovenians are the third weakest away team in the league, having picked up 21 points in 20 games so far. Innsbruck leads the season duel with 2:1 wins.

HC Pustertal - Pioneers Vorarlberg
Pustertal is in the thick of the battle for home advantage in the pre-playoffs. The ninth-placed South Tyroleans, who were beaten twice recently, are just one point behind Olimpija. The Pioneers (eleventh), on the other hand, are nine points off the top 10, putting the team from Feldkirch under considerable pressure. Pustertal have won two out of three season duels. In five meetings in Bruneck so far, the hosts have come away victorious four times.

Pioneers Vorarlberg - Olimpija Ljubljana
Olimpija continue their road trip in Feldkirch on Saturday. The Slovenians won the first two duels of the season, with the Pioneers coming out on top for the first time in mid-December.

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - spusu Vienna Capitals
Vienna concludes the Italian double in Asiago. The Capitals won the last four duels with the Yellow-Red, three games were even decided by only one goal difference.

win2day ICE Hockey League:
Fri, 31.01.2025:
19:15: EC-KAC – Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: HUBER, ZRNIC, Bärnthaler, Zgonc | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: HRONSKY, PIRAGIC, Jedlicka, Konc | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: OFNER, RIVIS, Fleischmann, Nothegger | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, STERNAT, Pardatscher, Rigoni | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:45: HC Pustertal – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: E. SEEWALD, SMETANA, Mantovani, Riecken | >> live.ice.hockey <<

Sat, 01.02.2025:
19:30: Pioneers Vorarlberg – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Martin, J. Seewald | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:45: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: SCHAUER, SMETANA, Riecken, Rigoni | >> live.ice.hockey <<