Release from 18.04.2025

Review of the 2024/25 Season

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On Tuesday, EK Die Zeller Eisbären were crowned champions of the Alps Hockey League for the first time – making history in the process: it marked the first-ever league title for an Austrian team in the multinational league. It was also a season of individual milestones: Ethan Szypula of the Rittner Buam SkyAlps became the first player in AHL history to break the 100-point barrier in a single season. Let's take a look back at a remarkable ninth Alps Hockey League season.

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A total of 244,040 fans attended games during the 2024/25 season, filling the arenas of the league’s 13 clubs. New champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären welcomed an average of 2,132 spectators per home game – by far the highest attendance in the league. They were followed by newcomers KHL Sisak, who drew an average of 1,349 fans. The 2,000-spectator mark was surpassed in 18 games, and more than 1,000 fans attended 65 matches overall.

The Croatian newcomers made waves early in the season, holding the top spot or at least staying in the upper third of the standings for much of the regular season. In the end, Sisak finished seventh. Zell am See, who would go on to claim the title, secured first place in the regular season, winning 26 of their 36 games. Defending champions Rittner Buam SkyAlps followed in second place.
In the Master Round, the “Polar Bears” reaffirmed their title ambitions. With only one loss in eight games, they finished that stage of the competition with an eight-point lead over Ritten. Finalists SIJ Acroni Jesenice trailed Zell am See by twelve points and ended the round in fourth place.

Zell am See with nearly perfect playoffs
In the playoffs, the final three quarterfinalists were decided in the pre-playoff stage. HC Meran/o Pircher defeated league newcomers Sisak 2–0. The Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan won 2–1 over HK RST Pellet Celje, and EC Bregenzerwald also advanced with a 2–1 victory over HC Gherdeina valgardena.it.

In the quarterfinals, Bregenzerwald faced Zell am See in an all-Austrian duel, but lost with 0–4. One of the biggest surprises came from Sterzing, who swept the previously strong Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. Jesenice cruised past Cortina with a 4–1 series win. The most dramatic quarterfinal matchup was between Ritten and Meran: after taking a 3–1 lead, Ritten were forced into a game 7 – but came through with a dominant 7–2 victory.

Ritten's playoff run came to an end in the semifinals. They were unable to win a single game against Jesenice, though three losses came in overtime. Zell am See, meanwhile, continued their dominant form and swept Sterzing in four straight games.

In the finals, the Pinzgau-based club claimed their first Alps Hockey League title. Jesenice initially took the lead in the best-of-seven series, but Zell am See responded by winning the next four games – two of them by a single goal difference. It was the perfect end to a near-flawless season. The “Polar Bears” suffered just one loss throughout the playoffs – the opening game of the finals. In their last 26 games overall, they lost only twice. Across the entire 57-game season, they recorded just 12 defeats.

Szypula sets new Points Record
For the first time in Alps Hockey League history, a player surpassed the 100-point mark in a single season. Ethan Szypula racked up an impressive 103 points, smashing the previous record of 89 held by Matt Wilkins (2019/20). The Canadian was named MVP for his outstanding performance.

The league’s top goal scorer, however, was someone else: Sterzing’s Adam Capannelli, who found the net 34 times. Szypula followed with 27 goals. In goal, Max Zimmermann of Zell am See was unmatched. The 25-year-old from Vienna posted a league-best save percentage of 93.8%. Dominik Groh (WSV) followed in second place with 92.5%. Zimmermann also recorded seven shutouts – another league high.