Quarterfinal Matchups Set

EK Die Zeller Eisbären (1) – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan (5)
With the first pick, the reigning champion chose the Broncos. While Zell am See won all eight Master Round games, the South Tyroleans — who secured their Top-5 spot only on the final day of the regular season — managed just one win in the intermediate round. The Pinzgau team won four of five season matchups, including two convincing victories (7:2 and 9:2) during the Master Round. This marks the third consecutive playoff meeting between the two clubs: in 2023/24, Sterzing swept the quarterfinal series, whereas last season, Zell am See took revenge with a 4:0 semifinal win.

Statement – Head Coach Marcel Rodman (EKZ): “It’s never easy to pick. The more you analyze, the more you see how strong each team is. In the end, we went with Sterzing. The main reason is that we’ve faced them the most in recent years and generally achieved good results. There are no secrets between us — we know their players, coaches, and systems well. The travel distance is also relatively short. So, we chose the team we know best; that’s the logic behind it. Still, we expect a tough opponent. They play hard; it won’t be an easy series, and we’ll need to perform at our best. I expect them to be much stronger than in our last two meetings.”

Statement – Head Coach Johan Sjöquist (WSV): "We are very excited to go into the playoffs against Zell am See. As a group we know what we can do, and we are ready to do whatever it takes to win, that's for sure."

Red Bull Hockey Juniors (2) – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it (8)
Red Bull Hockey finished first in the regular season but dropped to second place in the Master Round, earning the second pick. The Juniors selected HC Gherdeina valgardena.it as their quarterfinal opponent. The South Tyroleans advanced through the Pre-Playoffs by sweeping Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 2-0. This is Gherdeina’s third quarterfinal appearance, though the club has never reached the semifinals. Salzburg, meanwhile, has reached the semifinals twice (2024, 2023) and two additional quarterfinals. This season, the Juniors won two of three meetings between the sides.

Statement – Head Coach Teemu Levijoki (RBJ): “We expect hard games. It’s the playoffs, so every game will be intense and physical. All teams are strong at this stage, but we have to believe in what we do and stick to our game. Now we have some time to prepare and get ready for the series. The decision about the opponent was made together with the staff and the team. We believe it was the right choice and now the focus is on being ready when the series starts.”

Statement – Head Coach Marcel Skokan (GHE): “It will be a very tough series against a young team that likely recovers faster between games. We’ll use the coming days to prepare thoroughly. To compete, we’ll need to play aggressively, hard, and fast — stay patient and capitalize on our chances.”

HC Migross Asiago (3) – HC Meran/o Pircher (7)
In their debut AHL season, HC Migross Asiago comfortably qualified for the quarterfinals. As third seed, the Italians picked HC Meran/o Pircher among the remaining teams. Meran advanced through the Pre-Playoffs by defeating EC Bregenzerwald 2-0. In their fifth AHL season, this marks Meran’s third quarterfinal appearance; they have yet to reach the semifinals. This season, Asiago lost both home games to Meran in overtime, while Meran celebrated a 5:2 road win.

Statement – Head Coach John Parco (HCA): “The playoffs are always a very special time of the year. Our series against Merano will definitely offer exciting hockey for everyone. We’re looking forward to finally getting started, and I wish all teams the best of luck.”

Statement – Head Coach Christian Borgatello (HCM): “We’re really looking forward to the quarterfinals and know that an intense and emotional game awaits us. The team has worked hard over the past few weeks and is ready to leave everything out on the ice. In the playoffs, small details often make the difference – effort, discipline, and team spirit will be the keys to success.”

KHL Sisak (4) – S.G. Cortina Hafro (6)
After finishing third in the regular season, Sisak dropped to fourth following a mixed Master Round (two wins in eight games) and will face Cortina, which wasn’t selected by any of the Top-3 teams. The Italians underperformed for much of the year, finishing ninth in the regular season, but clinched a Pre-Playoff spot on the final day of the intermediate round — then swept two-time AHL champion Ritten 2-0. The three season meetings between Sisak and Cortina were all tight, each decided by a single goal (two even went to a shootout). Cortina, runner-up of 2023, won two of those three encounters.

Statement – Head Coach Josh Siembida (SIS): “I think it's going to be a great matchup. If you look at every game we've played against them this season, they've all been one-goal games, so I think this series can go either way. The home ice advantage certainly helps, especially with our fans. I think the building will be packed, we're going to get a lot of energy from that, and I know with us being in our first playoff series, we're going to be pretty excited for that as well.”

Statement – Head Coach Gaber Glavič (SGC): “We were in a situation where we simply had to wait for our opponent — nothing we could do about it. Sisak has been a strong and dangerous team for everyone this season. The long travel might affect both sides, but we’re really looking forward to Game 1 in Sisak. They have great fans, it’ll be an amazing atmosphere, and we can’t wait for the puck to drop.”

All games live on Valcome.tv with the Playoff Pass – only €50!
As always, all playoff games will be streamed live on www.valcome.tv. With the Playoff Pass, fans can watch every game from the quarterfinals through to the decisive final match for just €50.

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Photo: EKZ / Radlwimmer