Release from 10.09.2025

Season Kickoff Talk – win2day ICE Hockey League 2025/26

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The win2day ICE Hockey League begins its new season on Friday, September 12. Ahead of the opening games, Georg Wawer (Managing Director of title sponsor win2day), League CEO Christian Feichtinger, and new ORF expert Dominique Heinrich spoke about the upcoming season.

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In addition to a look back at last year’s successful campaign, the discussions also focused on innovations for the new season, the achievements of the national teams, and the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League. The full video is available with English subtitles.



Statements (excerpt)
Georg Wawer on …
… the values of hockey and the league:
“Hockey stands for fairness, team spirit, and passion – exactly the same values represented by win2day. On top of that, there is the Austrian character: we support domestic sports at the highest level and stand for equal opportunity, safety, and fair play.”

… the positive spectator trends:
“One million fans – that’s a strong signal. It shows that the league is booming, and for us as a sponsor, this reach is of course a confirmation of our efforts. The hockey brand is growing – in the arena, on TV, on social media – and along with it, the visibility of win2day.”

Christian Feichtinger on …
… decisions in moving picture coverage:
“This summer we made important decisions that clearly point in the right direction. The cooperation with ORF is a real stroke of luck: eight games of the win2day ICE Hockey League will be broadcast on ORF 1. For all those who have been working for the league for years, this is a big and important step. With our new streaming partner Sporteurope.TV, we are also taking a logical next step. All games will be shown there – with a new pricing model and league passes similar to those known from the NHL.”

… the level of the league:
“In the coming year, for the first time, all four nations of the win2day ICE Hockey League will take part in the World Championship Top Division. This is a very positive development. The number of league players impressively shows that the quality of the win2day ICE Hockey League – whether in Austria, Italy, Hungary, or Slovenia – has now reached a level that ranks with the very best in Europe.”

Dominique Heinrich on …
… his new role as TV expert on ORF:
“I’m really looking forward to this new task. As a kid, I watched every single broadcast game on TV – those were incredibly special times. Now it’s up to us to present hockey in the best possible way.”

… the favorites for the 2025/26 season:
“After four consecutive titles, Salzburg must again be considered the team to beat. They have built both structure and culture, which makes them the favorites once again. I think Bolzano has improved significantly, and Graz is on a very good path. Linz can build on the momentum from last season, and KAC is of course also a strong contender. I’m very excited.”

>> Interesting facts about the new season