Release from 30.01.2026

Regular Season ends on Sunday: Four teams battle for fifth place | Salzburg in pole position for first place

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The regular season of the Alps Hockey League concludes on Sunday with the game between KHL Sisak and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. By then, it will be decided which fifth team qualifies for the Master Round and thus secures an early spot in the playoffs. Already on Saturday, the 39th and final complete round of the regular season is on the schedule, with Sisak and Sterzing facing each other as well. Currently in eighth place, the Broncos trail fifth-placed Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel by three points, who will visit HDD Jesenice. However, EC Bregenzerwald in sixth place, who host HC Migross Asiago, and Rittner Buam SkyAlps in seventh place, who welcome S.G. Cortina Hafro at home, also still have chances to reach the top five. In the race for first place, league leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors need just one point away at the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers to secure the top position. Should the Juniors remain scoreless, Sisak must win both of their games in regulation time in order to overtake the Salzburg side.

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Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel enter their final regular season game on Saturday at HDD Jesenice in fifth place. However, the Tyroleans do not have their fate entirely in their own hands. If the eighth-placed Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan win both games in Sisak in regulation time, the South Tyroleans would overtake Kitzbühel – even if Kitzbühel win their game in Jesenice in regulation time – as Sterzing holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Kitzbühel have lost their last two games, while twelfth-placed Jesenice have failed to win any of their past four league matches. In the head-to-head record this season, the Austrian side has won both encounters so far.

Bregenzerwald in Sixth Place
Just one point behind Kitzbühel, EC Bregenzerwald sit in sixth place, but would lose out to Kitzbühel in the event of a tie on points. The Vorarlberg side face a difficult home game against fourth-placed HC Migross Asiago, who are unbeaten in twelve games across all competitions. Bregenzerwald did manage to win their last home game against the Italians 8–3, while they lost 1–4 in Asiago. The team in fourth place can still move up to third, but would need three points against Bregenzerwald and also require Sisak to collect no points in their two games against Sterzing.

Ritten with only a small chance of fifth place
In seventh place, Rittner Buam SkyAlps trail fifth place by two points and have also lost the head-to-head comparison with Kitzbühel. This makes qualification for the Master Round a very difficult task for the two-time champions, especially as they have been without a win for three straight league games. Their opponents S.G. Cortina Hafro have won their last two matches and can secure ninth place with another victory. The first two head-to-head games this season both ended in home wins (3–0 RIT, 4–3/SO SGC).

Doubleheader between Sisak and Sterzing
The only teams playing twice this weekend are KHL Sisak and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, who meet in a doubleheader in Croatia on Saturday and Sunday. There is a lot at stake for both teams. Third-placed Sisak need three points to move past second-placed Zell am See and can even finish the regular season in first place if they win both games in regulation time and league leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors fail to earn a point at Unterland. For eighth-placed Sterzing, the objective is to climb to fifth place and secure early qualification for the playoffs. They currently trail fifth-placed Kitzbühel by three points but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. With two regulation-time wins, they would definitely finish fifth and qualify for the Master Round. The first meeting of the season was won 4–3 by the South Tyroleans.

Juniors can secure first place with one point
League leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors need just one point against bottom side Hockey Unterland Cavaliers to lock up first place. On Thursday, the Salzburg team celebrated their first win after two consecutive defeats, while Unterland have gone winless in their last three matches. The Juniors won both previous meetings this season, 7–2 and 3–1.

10th placed Gherdeina face 11th placed Meran
On Saturday, tenth-placed HC Gherdeina valgardena.it host eleventh-placed HC Meran/o Pircher. The two teams are separated by just two points, and ninth-placed Cortina are only one point ahead of Gherdeina. Both teams were victorious on Thursday: Gherdeina beat Unterland 3–2 in a shootout, while Meran recorded a surprise 4–1 win over Zell am See. The first two head-to-head games this season were both won by the home teams (4–3/OT GHE, 3–1 HCM).

Alps Hockey League:
Sat, 31.01.2026:
17:30 Uhr: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: PIRAS, STEFENELLI, Steiner F., Veselka

18:00 Uhr: HDD Jesenice – Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: BROCK, LEBEN, Bergelj, Dummermuth-Haas

18:00 Uhr: Rittner Buam SkyAlps – S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: LAZZERI, RUETZ, Brondi, Divis

19:30 Uhr: EC Bregenzerwald – HC Migross Asiago
Referees: RIVIS, WINKLER, Brondi, Strimitzer

19:30 Uhr: KHL Sisak – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: SNOJ, VOICAN, Miklic, Preiser

20:30 Uhr: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it – HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: MOSCHEN, PINIE, Markizeti, Murnik

Sun, 01.02.2026:
17:00 Uhr: KHL Sisak – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: OREL, UNTERWEGER, Legat, Wucherer

Watch all games live on Valcome.TV.   

Copyright: Oskar Brunner