Release from 22.04.2026

Looking back at a surprise-filled 10th AHL season

Short text 455 CharactersPlain text

Last Saturday, HC Gherdeina valgardena.it were crowned champions of the Alps Hockey League for the first time in a stunning surprise victory. After the regular season, the South Tyroleans were only ranked 11th before going on an incredible run and defeating HC Meran/o Pircher in a sensational final. Here’s a look back at a memorable 10th season of the Alps Hockey League, which saw more fans than ever before attend their teams’ games across the arenas.

Press release 3952 CharactersPlain text

A total of 286,604 fans attended games across the 13 Alps Hockey League clubs this past season. That represents an increase of almost 50,000 spectators compared to the previous season. Only the 2018/19 season recorded higher overall attendance (307,659), although with more participating teams at the time. With an average of 884 fans per game, the 2025/26 season was the best-attended in league history. Second place goes to the 2018/19 season with an average of 801 fans per game.

EK Die Zeller Eisbären once again led the league in attendance. Although they failed to defend their 2025 title, they topped the charts with an average of 2,256 fans per game. They were followed by semifinal debutants KHL Sisak (1,674) and HC Migross Asiago (1,593). The new champions from Val Gardena ranked fourth with an average of 975 spectators. Especially during the Finals, the Stadio del Ghiaccio Pranives was packed, as fans celebrated the historic title. Overall, the 2,000-attendance mark was surpassed in 30 games, while more than 1,000 fans attended 95 matches.

From 11th place to champions
From a sporting perspective, the season was just as successful as it was surprising. The Red Bull Hockey Juniors secured first place in the regular season. Alongside defending champions Zell am See, Sisak, Asiago and Sterzing, four other title contenders advanced to the Master Round. The battle for fifth place remained open until the final day, with just three points separating fifth-placed Sterzing and eighth-placed Ritten. At that stage, hardly anyone expected Gherdeina to make a deep playoff run. They finished only 11th in the regular season, just behind eventual finalists Meran.

In the Qualification Round, Gherdeina began their remarkable run, finishing first in their group with five wins and just one loss. Meran achieved the same in the other group. Meanwhile, Zell am See overtook the Juniors with a dominant Master Round, winning all eight games to enter the playoffs as the top-seeded favorite.

Gherdeina first had to go through the Pre-Playoffs, where they swept Kitzbühel 2–0. Meran also advanced with a 2–0 win over Bregenzerwald. In the quarterfinals, Gherdeina faced Salzburg in a thrilling series that went the distance. In Game 7, Matteo Luisetti scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute, sending his team to the semifinals. Meran also pulled off an upset, defeating Asiago 4–2.

In the semifinals, Gherdeina met Zell am See. The 2025 champions entered the series as clear favorites and won Game 1 narrowly in overtime. The following games alternated between home wins until Gherdeina claimed a crucial 4–3 overtime victory in Game 5 on the road. With another home win, the South Tyroleans completed the upset. Meanwhile, Meran defeated Sisak in a hard-fought seven-game series, setting up a historic final – the first ever between two South Tyrolean teams.

The Final Series ultimately ended in a dominant 4–0 sweep for Gherdeina, who sealed the title with a 4–3 win in front of more than 2,000 fans at a sold-out Pranives arena. It marked only the third Finals sweep in the league’s 10-year history.

Claes Endre – the hero in goal
Gherdeina were led by goaltender Claes Endre. The Swedish netminder joined the team in mid-January and made an immediate impact. He finished the season with a league-best save percentage of over 94% and recorded four shutouts in 27 appearances.

Valentini named MVP as top scorer
The league’s top scorer was Ryan Valentini of Asiago, who recorded 92 points – the second-highest total in league history – and was named MVP. Only Ethan Szypula had more points in a single season (103). The top goal scorer was Nick Porco, also from Asiago, with 42 goals. Additionally, the “Young Star of the Season” award was presented for the first time and went to Maxim Eliseev of the Red Bull Hockey Juniors.



Copyright: Matthäus Kostner