Release from 02.01.2026

Saturday’s highlight game day: Derbies in South Tyrol and Hungary

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Saturday features a blockbuster game day in the win2day ICE Hockey League. ORF 1 will broadcast the crucial Top-10 showdown between the Steinbach Black Wings Linz and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV live from 16:10. Two derbies are also on the schedule: HC Falkensteiner Pustertal host HCB Südtirol Alperia, while FTC-Telekom face Hydro Fehérvár AV19. Elsewhere, league leaders EC-KAC visit HC TIWAG Innsbruck, fifth-placed Olimpija Ljubljana welcome second-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers, and EC Red Bull Salzburg face the Vienna Capitals and look to extend their current winning streak.

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The matchup between the Steinbach Black Wings Linz and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV is all about vital points in the race for the Top 10. Linz currently sit tenth with 41 points, while Villach are seventh, just one point ahead. Goals have been guaranteed in the two previous meetings this season: after Villach claimed an 8:3 road win in Linz, the Black Wings responded with a 5:4 overtime victory in Villach. Linz opened the New Year with a 1:5 loss in Salzburg, having previously recorded two straight wins. The VSV, meanwhile, snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 6:2 home win over Innsbruck.

South Tyrol derby between Pustertal and Bolzano
For the third time this season, HC Falkensteiner Pustertal and HCB Südtirol Alperia face off in the South Tyrol derby. Home ice proved decisive in the first two meetings, with Pustertal winning 5:3 and Bolzano delivering a 9:1 rout. Current form favors the visitors from Bolzano, who have won their last four games, most recently a 2:1 overtime victory at KAC. Pustertal, by contrast, have lost their past two games, including a 5:6 shootout defeat against the Pioneers Vorarlberg to open the year. In the standings, Bolzano also hold a slight edge: fourth with 60 points, three ahead of sixth-placed Pustertal.

Third Hungarian derby between Budapest and Fehérvár
Derby fever also hits Hungary, where FTC-Telekom and Hydro Fehérvár AV19 meet for the third time this season. The first two encounters were clear wins for Fehérvár (6:1 and 5:1). This time, however, it’s not just local bragging rights at stake, but crucial points in the Top-10 race. FTC slipped to eleventh after a 1:6 loss to Graz, but trail ninth-placed Fehérvár by only one point. Both teams are struggling for form: Budapest are winless in their last four games, while Fehérvár suffered heavy defeats in their past two outings without scoring (0:7 in Linz, 0:5 in Ljubljana). Fehérvár are also without an away win in four games, while FTC have gone winless in their last three home matches.

League leaders KAC visit Innsbruck
Table-toppers EC-KAC aim to return to winning ways at bottom side HC TIWAG Innsbruck. The Klagenfurt-based team narrowly lost their last two games (1:2 overtime vs Bolzano, 2:3 in Ljubljana) after previously stringing together five consecutive wins, keeping a one-point lead over nearest challengers Graz. Innsbruck have failed to win any of their last four games and already trail the Top 10 by 19 points. In the head-to-head, however, the Sharks pulled off a spectacular 9:6 home win in November, while KAC prevailed in Klagenfurt.

Ljubljana host Graz
Second-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers sit just one point behind league leaders EC-KAC. On Saturday, the Styrians—unbeaten in four games—travel to face fifth-placed Olimpija Ljubljana. The Slovenians have won two of their last five games and trail Graz by eight points. Ljubljana opened the New Year with a 2:3 loss in Vienna, while Graz cruised to a 6:1 home win over Budapest. It’s already the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, and all previous encounters were decided by a single goal—with the away team winning every time: Ljubljana triumphed 4:3 in overtime and 3:2 in a shootout, while Graz edged a 1:0 victory.

In this game, linesman Gasper Jaka Zgonc will officiate his 500th league match and will be honored before the puck drops. Since September 2015, Zgonc has been a permanent member of the win2day ICE Hockey League.

Salzburg eye tenth straight win
Defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg are the league’s hottest team, riding a nine-game winning streak. The Red Bulls have been unbeaten for almost a month, with their last loss coming on December 5 against KAC. They have climbed to third place in the standings, now just seven points off the lead. Opponents Vienna Capitals are also on the rise, winning two straight games, including a 3:2 home victory over Ljubljana to start the New Year. Vienna have moved up to eighth place but hold only a one-point cushion over eleventh. The Capitals are still searching for their first win against Salzburg this season, though they did collect a point in a 3:4 overtime loss in Salzburg. The two games played in Vienna were won by the Red Bulls, 4:2 and 3:1.

win2day ICE Hockey League:
16:30: Steinbach Black Wings Linz – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: REZEK, SOOS, Durmis, Jeram

17:30: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – EC-KAC
Referees: NIKOLIC M., SIEGEL, Rigoni, Sparer

18:00: Olimpija Ljubljana – Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Hribar, Zgonc

18:30: FTC-Telekom – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: HLAVATY, NAGY, Gatol, Nothegger

19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg – Vienna Capitals
Referees: GROZNIK, SMETANA, Mantovani, Pardatscher

19:45: HC Falkensteiner Pustertal – HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Fleischmann, Weiss

Watch all games live on Sporteurope.tv.