Release from 04.01.2023
Alps Hockey League, 05.01.2023:
19:30 EHC Lustenau - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Referees: BRUNNER, RUETZ, Seewald, Tschrepitsch | click for Livestream
EHC Lustenau has two more games on the schedule at the end of the Regular Season. First of all, the Vorarlberg team will play against the leader HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice in the only Thursday game. The leader, who already has the Regular Season victory in his pocket, had to accept his first home defeat this season on January 3. However, the four bonus points in the Master Round are no longer to be taken away from the Slovenians. Lustenau can at best finish the Regular Season in eighth place and thus make it to Quali Round B, where they will face less strong opponents. Currently, the Lions are in tenth place - a position with which they would have to continue the season in Quali Round A and thus, among other teams, also meet the best team that has not yet been able to solve a playoff ticket. In the first meeting this season with Jesenice, Lustenau suffered a clear 1:7 defeat.
Alps Hockey League, 06.01.2023:
18:30 Hockey Unterland Cavaliers - EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: SCHAUER, VIRTA, Brondi, Mantovani | click for Livestream
While the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers fixed the qualification for the Master Round in the last rounds, EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel lost the race for the direct playoff qualification. The Adler now have, in their last game of the Regular Season, a long-distance duel for sixth place and thus for the highest number of bonus points with the EC the Zeller Eisbären ahead of them. For this they would have to conquer against the Cavaliers by one point more than Zell against the Fassa Falcons in the parallel game. League newcomer Unterland ends the Regular Season fix on second place and thus goes into the Master Round with three bonus points.
19:30 HC Meran/o Pircher - S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: EGGER, MOSCHEN, Bedana, De Zordo | click for Livestream
S.G. Cortina Hafro can still catch up with Red Bull Hockey Juniors with a win in the last round and thus finish the Regular Season on the third place in the table. Cortina, however, recently suffered three defeats in a row. For HC Merano/o, eighth place in the table is possible at best. The first meeting this season was a clear affair for Cortina. Goals from five different cracks ensured a clear 5:0 in October.
19:30 EK Die Zeller Eisbären - SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: OREL, WUNTSCHEK, Kanyo, Wendner | click for Livestream
EK Die Zeller Eisbären was the last team to be eliminated from the race for the Master Round. The team from Salzburg lost the showdown against the Rittner Buam with 0:3. Now the Eisbären are in the pole position to get the most bonus points in the Quali Round. With a win after regular time against SHC Fassa Falcons Zell would not be able to take away the sixth place in the table in the Regular Season and the participation in the Quali Round with maximum points would be secured. However, if Kitzbühel can take more points than Zell in the last round, the Polar Bears would still fall back to seventh place in the table and they would have to continue their journey via Quali Round B. The Falcons are cemented in 13th place and are thus fixed without bonus points in Quali Round A.
20:30 HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - Rittner Buam SkyAlps
Referees: BULOVEC, FAJDIGA, Bergant, Javornik | click for Livestream
The Rittner Buam solved as the last team for the time being the last playoff ticket and the place in the Master Round. The premiere champ of the Alps Hockey League celebrated a 3:0 victory over the EK Zeller Eisbären in the showdown for the top-5. The "Buam" could now even climb to third place in the table in the last round of the Regular Season. To achieve this, they need a full three points against HC Gherdeina valgardena.it and at the same time would have to hope for a defeat of Cortina. HC Gherdeina is on the eighth place in the table after its surprising victory at the table leader. An improvement is no longer possible for Val Gardena, but they could still lose one or two places in the last round.
Alps Hockey League, 07.01.2023:
19:15 Steinbach Steel Wings Linz - EHC Lustenau
Referees: OREL, SCHWEIGHOFER, Legat, Schonaklener | click for Livestream
For EHC Lustenau, Saturday's match is the second game within three days. While the Vorarlberg team could still move up to eighth place, the 14th place for the Steinbach Steel Wings Linz and thus the Quali Round A is already set in stone. The Upper Austrians recently suffered two defeats. In the first duel of the season between these two teams, Lustenau prevailed with an overtime win. Chris D'Alvise was responsible for the decision in overtime.
19:30 EC Bregenzerwald - Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: HOLZER, LEHNER, Eisl, Moidl | click for Livestream
EC Bregenzerwald has two matches left in the Regular Season. After the duel against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, the last encounter against HC Gherdeina is still on the schedule, but it will be played on January 15. Bregenzerwald still has the chance to climb up to eighth place in the last two games. The Bronocs, on the other hand, still have the chance to catch up with EC Bregenzerwald, but to do so they would have to take a full three points on Saturday and hope for a zero number from the Vorarlberg team against HC Gherdeina in the supplementary game.
Bonus points and grouping for the intermediate round:
1st place - Master Round - 4 bonus points
2nd place - Master Round - 3 bonus points
3rd place - Master Round - 2 bonus points
4th place - Master Round - 1 bonus point
5th place - Master Round - 0 bonus points
6th place - Qual Round A - 6 bonus points
7th place - Qual Round B - 5 bonus points
8th place - Qual Round B - 4 bonus points
9th place - Quali Round A - 3 bonus points
10th place - Quali Round A - 2 bonus points
11th place - Qual Round B - 1 bonus points
12th place - Qual Round B - 0 bonus points
13th place - Quali Round A - 0 bonus points
14th place - Quali Round A - 0 bonus points
15th place - Qual Round B - 0 bonus points
Picture: EK Zeller Eisbären