Release from 23.10.2020
Saturday night the regular season in the Alps Hockey League kicks off with five games scheduled and the season opener of Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey, which return-to-play games had to be postponed due to Covid-19 cases. All games will be available as video online-stream.
The game between the EC-KAC II and the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, scheduled for Saturday, October 24th, has been postponed indefinitely, for medical precautionary measures due to Covid-19 contact persons. All postponed games of the return-to-play phase are already rescheduled. You find the new dates on our website.
Sa, 24.10.2020, 5.30 pm: HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BAJT, REZEK, Arlic, Javornik.
The reigning champion of the Alps Hockey League starts the regular season with a home game against HC Gherdeina valgardena.it. HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana has won all three return-2-play duels, is at the top of the table with nine points and has recorded a goal difference of +31 after the first six games. The encounter with the South Tyroleans, who have only played three games due to Covid 19 cases with R2P opponents, is the meeting of league’s best special teams: In the powerplay ranking Ljubljana is ahead of Val Gardena, in the penalty killing ranking it is the other way round. There were six duels between these two teams in total - only on September 22nd, 2018 the "Fury" won once.
Sat, 24.10.2020, 7.15 pm: Red Bull Hockey Juniors – EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: FICHTNER, HLAVATY, Kainberger, Legat.
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors have warmed up for the start of the Regular Season on Thursday. In Ritten, the Austrian side celebrated a dominant 9:0 victory, but EC Bregenzerwald - already on Wednesday - also finished the return-2-play phase with a success, even though there were no points for the table: Markus Juurikkala's team won the return leg against VEU Feldkirch 6:3, and after ten consecutive defeats within two seasons, they celebrated a huge success. Salzburg is a home power, achieving points in any home game they played for one year. In addition to Kai Hämmerle and Benjamin Winkler, who will be out due to injury, the two Swedes Jesper Akerman and Lukas Löfquist will also be absent from the "Wälder" line-up for the road game.
Sat, 24.10.2020, 7.30 pm: EHC Lustenau – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Referees: HOLZER, SCHAUER, Rinker, Spiegel.
After the EHC Lustenau on Thursday in Kitzbuehel gave three more points for the table still from the hand, the Vorarlberg side starts with a home game against the HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice into the second phase. The Slovenians have won their last three games - performed well prior that with the draw in the second leg against Ljubljana. AHL confrontations between these two teams have already occurred 14 times, with the home team winning only five times. At home, the Vorarlberg side has also been without a defeat for five games in a row - also due to their strong penalty killing of 90% (#3). Jesenice’s is almost the same (89.5%).
Sat, 24.10.2020, 8.00 pm: Rittner Buam – SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: MOSCHEN, STEFENELLI, De Zordo, Piras.
After their highest defeat in the AHL history, the 9-0 loss against the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, the Rittner Buam start into the Regular Season against the SHC Fassa Falcons. Although the former AHL champion was able to celebrate two victories in the return-2-play phase, the young team only takes one point with them. The SHC Fassa Falcons only played one R2P duel, but lost both legs against Gherdeina. In the preseason the two teams met in Fassa, Ritten won 5:4 after a shootout, thus extending the Buam's series against the "Falcons": Since January 21st 2016 - at that time still in Serie A - Ritten won all 16 games.
Sat, 24.10.2020, 8.30: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: GIACOMOZZI F., LAZZERI, Cristeli, Fleischmann.
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - Champion of the Alps Hockey League in 2018 - makes his season debut on Saturday. Due to Covid-19 cases all return-2-play games of the Italians had to be postponed. The reigning Italian champion has not played one single games since the preparation in mid-September as they faces HCB Südtirol Alperia twice. Furthermore, the team from Veneto has play do without captain Federico Benetti, who is taking a break from hockey for family reasons. Opposite them are the "Wolves" from Pustertal, who have played all six return-2-play matches and took seven points with them into the Regular Season. With 24% from the powerplay, the HCP is especially dangerous in superior numbers. Goalie Colin Furlong is currently not yet confirmed for the game, he injured his neck on Thursday. Stephen Lee returns to the line-up after his suspension.