Release from 07.01.2026

Strong attendance at the Alps Hockey League X-Mas Games

Short text 491 CharactersPlain text

As usual, the Alps Hockey League was in full swing around Christmas. From December 22 through Three Kings’ Day on January 6, a total of 41 games were played. While this period is extremely demanding for the players, it represents absolute highlight game days for the fans – something that was clearly evident once again. Overall, more than 46,000 spectators flocked to the arenas, with over 1,000 fans in attendance at 20 games. Compared to last season, this marks an increase in attendance.

Press release 1524 CharactersPlain text

In the 2024/25 season, a total of 40,987 spectators attended 40 games during the same period, averaging 1,024 fans per game. This year, 46,443 fans attended 41 games over the Christmas holidays, resulting in an average of 1,132 spectators per game. In 20 matches, attendance exceeded the 1,000-fan mark, with nine games even surpassing 2,000 spectators – all of them in Zell am See, Sisak, and Asiago. Last season, 16 games in the same period drew more than 1,000 spectators.

Zell am See remains the league’s top attendance draw
Looking at the season as a whole, EK Die Zeller Eisbären continue to be the top attendance draw in the Alps Hockey League. The defending champions welcome an average of 2,178 fans per home game, leading the attendance rankings ahead of league returnee Asiago (1,562) and Sisak (1,530). In total, 155,452 spectators have already visited the arenas of the 13 AHL clubs this season.

Board of Governors Chairman Nicolas Stockhammer commented:
“The Christmas game days have been a major crowd puller since the very beginning and are therefore extremely important for the league and its clubs. Once again, the strong fan turnout has confirmed just how great the interest in this multinational league is – certainly also due to the exceptional level of competitiveness that currently prevails. We are looking ahead to the coming months with great anticipation and are already excited about well-attended and highly thrilling playoffs.”