Release from 30.12.2025
The final matchday of the calendar year saw Olimpija Ljubljana secure a 3-2 home win against league leaders EC-KAC. The third-placed Slovenians ended KAC’s five-game winning streak. In the standings, KAC’s lead over their closest pursuer, the Moser Medical Graz99ers, has now shrunk to just three points. Graz defeated the struggling EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 4-1. Important wins in the fight for the top 10 were claimed by the Steinbach Black Wings Linz and the Vienna Capitals. Meanwhile, EC Red Bull Salzburg and HCB Südtirol Alperia both kept clean sheets. Two 17-year-old youngsters, Johannes Dobrovolny (KAC) and Jonathan Oschgan (BWL), also made it onto the scoresheet. The next full round of the win2day ICE Hockey League kicks off on New Year’s Day.
EC-KAC suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat in a thrilling top match against Olimpija Ljubljana, marking their first loss after five consecutive wins. It was their second defeat in three season encounters against the Slovenians. The gap to third-placed Ljubljana is now eight points, while KAC’s lead over second-placed Graz has reduced to three points. The game started well for the league leaders: the 17-year-old Johannes Dobrovolny put the visitors ahead in the 9th minute – his second consecutive goal after scoring in Vienna on Sunday. Olimpija fought back in the second period, with Zach Boychuk equalizing in the 27th minute. After KAC regained the lead shortly afterward, Boychuk scored again to level the match, and moments later Alex Petan netted the 3-2 game-winner, sending nearly 4,000 fans at Hala Tivoli into ecstasy.
Graz hands Villach seventh consecutive defeat
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV fell 1-4 at home in front of 3,465 spectators – a sold-out crowd – to the Moser Medical Graz99ers, marking their seventh loss in a row. Villach dropped to 10th place, level on points with 11th-placed Vienna, while Graz, in second, is just three points behind KAC. It was Graz’s third win in a row. Marcus Vela opened the scoring in the 4th minute, followed by Anders Koch, who scored his first goal for Graz in the 7th minute to complete an early double. Villach pulled one back through Brett Ritchie in the 31st minute, but the 99ers sealed the win with goals from Paul Huber (54th) and Kevin Roy (57th/EN). This marked Graz’s second win over Villach in three season meetings.
Linz and Vienna secure key Top-10 wins
The Steinbach Black Wings Linz dominated Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in front of over 4,200 fans, winning 7-0. The Vienna Capitals edged out the second Hungarian opponent, FTC-Telekom, 3-2 in overtime, also earning crucial points in the Top-10 race. Vienna remain 11th but are now level on points with 10th-placed Villach and just two points behind 9th-placed Budapest. Cole Hults scored the overtime game-winner after Linden Vey had equalized in the 57th minute. Brady Shaw and Tyler Coulter had earlier turned the tables in the second period, following an initial goal by Scott Kosmachuk.
Linz had no problems against Fehérvár, climbing to 8th place in the standings, just one point behind the Hungarians and two points ahead of 11th-placed Vienna. Jonathan Oschgan, the 17-year-old Linz native, was named player of the match, scoring a double in only his 18th league game. Travis Barron also scored twice, while goalkeeper Rasmus Tirronen saved all 19 shots. This was Linz’s second dominant home win over Fehérvár; they had previously won 7-1 on October 26. For the Hungarians, it was the second consecutive game without a goal, following their 0-5 loss in Ljubljana.
Salzburg and Bolzano with shutout wins
Defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg remain unstoppable, claiming a 4-0 away win at HC TIWAG Innsbruck, their eighth consecutive victory. HCB Südtirol Alperia kept a clean sheet in a 5-0 home win over the Pioneers Vorarlberg, recording their third win in a row. Both teams now have 58 points, with Bolzano ahead of Salzburg in 4th place due to a better goal difference. Pioneers and Innsbruck remain at the bottom of the table.
For Salzburg, goals came from Brandon Coe (14th), Benjamin Nissner (25th), Peter Hochkofler (45th), and Mario Huber (55th). Goalkeeper Atte Tolvanen saved all 22 shots, earning his first shutout of the season. In Bolzano, all five goals were scored in the second period: Max Gildon opened in the 22nd minute, Luca Frigo scored his 100th goal for Bozen in the 27th, Brad McClure added a powerplay goal in the 29th, and Dustin Gazley completed a double (31st, 34th). New signing Christopher Gibson kept a clean sheet in his debut.
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Tue, 30.12.2025:
FTC-Telekom - Vienna Capitals 2:3/OT (0:0, 2:1, 0:1, 0:1)
Referees: SMETANA, SOOS, Gatol, Riecken
Goals FTC: 1:1 Shaw B. (33.), 2:1 Coulter T. (38./SH1)
Goals VIC: 0:1 Kosmachuk S. (33.), 2:2 Vey L. (57.), 2:3 Hults C. (64.)
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – Moser Medical Graz99ers 1:4 (0:2, 1:0, 0:2)
Referees: GROZNIK, ZRNIC, Muzsik, Wimmler
Goal VSV: 1:2 Ritchie B. (31./PP1)
Goals G99: 0:1 Vela M. (4.), 0:2 Koch A. (7.), 1:3 Huber P. (54.), 1:4 Roy K. (57./EN)
Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Hydro Fehérvár AV19 7:0 (2:0, 3:0, 2:0)
Referees: NAGY, PIRAGIC, Vaczi, Zgonc
Goals BWL: 1:0 St-Amant S. (8.), 2:0 Barron T. (18./PP1), 3:0 Barron T. (23.), 4:0 Pusnik J. (25.), 5:0 Oschgan J. (34.), 6:0 Knott G. (52.), 7:0 Oschgan J. (55.)
HC TIWAG Innsbruck – EC Red Bull Salzburg 0:4 (0:1, 0:1, 0:2)
Referees: KAINBERGER, NIKOLIC K., Fleischmann, Sparer
Goals RBS: 0:1 Coe B. (14.), 0:2 Nissner B. (25.), 0:3 Hochkofler B. (45.), 0:4 Huber M. (55.)
Olimpija Ljubljana – EC-KAC 3:2 (0:1, 3:1, 0:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., STERNAT, Bedynek, Hribar
Goals OLL: 1:1 Boychuk Z. (27.), 2:2 Boychuk Z. (31.), 3:2 Petan A. (32.)
Goals KAC: 0:1 Dobrovolny J. (9.), 1:2 Herburger R. (29.)
HCB Südtirol Alperia – Pioneers Vorarlberg 5:0 (0:0, 5:0, 0:0)
Referees: HOLZER, OFNER, Pardatscher, Puff
Goals HCB: 1:0 Gildon M. (22.), 2:0 Frigo L. (27.), 3:0 McClure B. (29./PP1), 4:0 Gazley D. (31.), 5:0 Gazley D. (34.)