Release from 25.04.2026

Season review: A campaign full of firsts in 2025/26

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The 26th season of the win2day ICE Hockey League came to an end on Wednesday with the Moser Medical Graz99ers winning the title for the first time. We look back on a thrilling season marked by numerous premieres and surprises.

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Thirteen teams kicked off the 26th season on September 12, 2025. FTC-Telekom joined as a new club and celebrated its first win on game day four, remaining in the race for the pre-playoffs until the very end, narrowly missing out.

The regular season developed into an intense and highly competitive race with frequent changes at the top. Ljubljana enjoyed a perfect start, winning its first six games and holding the lead almost continuously until October 20. Pustertal then took over first place and stayed on top until mid-November.

Graz wins the regular season
At that point, the Moser Medical Graz99ers had also found their rhythm. Following the coaching change to head coach Dan Lacroix, the team quickly gained consistency and steadily climbed the standings. On November 29, Graz claimed the top spot for the first time. At the same time, EC-KAC continued to improve, taking over first place on December 6 and holding it until the penultimate round.

However, the final game day brought a decisive twist: while KAC narrowly lost to Vienna, Graz seized the opportunity, won in Linz, and moved ahead in the standings. With a one-point lead over KAC, the 99ers secured the regular season title.

There was also high drama in the battle for tenth place. Fehérvár clinched it on the final day, needing a point in the Hungarian derby against FTC and securing it with a goal by Anze Kuralt just 34 seconds before the final buzzer.

Fehérvár and Villach succeed in pre-playoffs
Fehérvár then defeated the Vienna Capitals 2–1 in the pre-playoffs to book a quarterfinal spot. In the second series, Villach swept Linz 2–0.

Quarterfinals begin with a shock
The much-anticipated quarterfinals began on March 10 with a serious shock: EC-KAC’s Jordan Murray suffered cardiac arrest on the ice in the first period. The game was abandoned and the series against Fehérvár postponed. Fortunately, Murray is recovering and has already been discharged from hospital.

Major upsets in the quarterfinals
On the ice, the quarterfinals produced major surprises. Defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg were swept by Pustertal, EC-KAC lost 2–4 to tenth-place Fehérvár, and Bolzano exited the playoffs with just one win against Ljubljana.

As a result, Graz were the only top-four regular season team to reach the semifinals. The regular season winners swept Villach 4–0. For the first time, all four nations represented in the league reached the semifinals, and for the first time, a tenth-place team advanced that far. It also guaranteed a first-time champion.

Historic title for Graz
In the end, the Moser Medical Graz99ers captured their first title—without losing a single playoff game. They convincingly defeated Fehérvár in the semifinals, while Pustertal beat Ljubljana 4–1 to reach the final for the first time.

In the championship series, however, the South Tyroleans stood no chance against dominant Graz, losing 0–4. Game four on Wednesday ended 6–2 for the Styrians, making them only the third team in league history—after Salzburg (2022) and Vienna (2017)—to win the title undefeated in the playoffs. They are also the seventh champion since the league’s re-founding in 2000.

Season MVPs
Two individual awards are presented each year in the win2day ICE Hockey League. Ljubljana’s T.J. Brennan was named regular season MVP after recording 59 points. In the playoffs, forward Lukas Haudum earned MVP honors with 20 points and a plus-minus rating of +16.

Eddie Pasquale sets new goaltending record
Pustertal goaltender Eddie Pasquale went 279 minutes and 17 seconds without conceding a goal in the playoffs—a new league record. The Canadian last allowed a goal in the 18th minute of game four of the quarterfinals against Salzburg. He then remained unbeaten until the fourth semifinal game, when Rok Kapel tied the game 1–1 for Ljubljana in the 12th minute, ending the streak. The previous record was held by Mikko Strömberg (HCI) with 250:18 in 2007, followed by Atte Tolvanen (RBS), who posted 224:42 in 2022.

Strong attendance figures
Fan interest in the win2day ICE Hockey League remained strong and even increased further. The regular season saw an increase of around six percent compared to the previous year. A total of 1,125,151 fans attended games, representing a two percent overall rise. The Vienna Capitals once again recorded the highest attendance of all teams, averaging 5,059 fans at the STEFFL Arena.

Dr. Alexander Gruber, President of the win2day ICE Hockey League: “The 2025/26 season impressively demonstrated how dynamic and attractive the win2day ICE Hockey League has become. With a new club, a new champion, and numerous sporting firsts, this season was special in many ways. Above all, the strong attendance figures confirm that interest in our league continues to grow and that ice hockey excites fans in all participating countries. Our thanks go to all clubs, players, partners, and of course the fans whose passion drives this league.”