Release from 10.09.2026

Women’s hockey season gets underway – three competitions face off this weekend

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The new women’s hockey season gets underway this weekend, with action starting across three competitions: the European Women’s Hockey League (EWHL), the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League (AWHL) and the EWHL Euro Cup. Eight teams will compete for the EWHL title this season, while the Austrian teams have an additional highlight to aim for in the AWHL: The top two teams following the Regular Season will earn the opportunity to face off in front of nearly 10,000 fans at the outdoor game in Bischofshofen on January 31.

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The European Women’s Hockey League will feature eight teams this season. The Regular Season will be played in a round-robin format, with all games between Austrian teams also counting towards the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League standings.

Five Austrian teams will compete in the AWHL: defending champions KSV Highlanders, runners-up Lakers Kärnten, EWHL champions Sabres St. Pölten, VSV Lady Hawks and Graz99ers Huskies.

Special highlight: AWHL outdoor game
There is an added incentive for the five Austrian teams competing in the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League this season. The top two teams in the AWHL standings following the Regular Season will earn the opportunity to play an official league game in a spectacular setting on January 31.

As part of the win2day ICE Hockey League outdoor event at the foot of the ski jumping hill in Bischofshofen, the two teams are set to face off in front of nearly 10,000 fans and become part of one of the major hockey highlights of the season.

Following the Regular Season, the AWHL will once again continue with an intermediate stage consisting of a Placement Round for the top three teams and a Qualification Round featuring the remaining two AWHL teams as well as teams from the DEBL.

The winner of the Qualification Round will claim the final berth in the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League Final Four, which will take place on January 26 and 27.

EWHL Euro Cup welcomes first-ever Turkish team
The new EWHL Euro Cup season will also feature a first. TED Kocaeli Koleji Spor Kulübü will become the first Turkish team to compete in the competition. The newly formed side enters the tournament with an international roster that also features North American imports.

The EWHL Euro Cup will be played in two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Final Four on December 5 and 6. Should MAC Budapest qualify for the Final Four, the Hungarian club will host the tournament.

EWHL Euro Cup opens the first weekend of the season
The EWHL Euro Cup will officially get the new women’s hockey season underway with three games on Friday. Group A features a Budapest derby between Hokiklub Budapest and Budapest Jegkorong Akademia, while Sabres St. Pölten host Turkish newcomers TED Kocaeli Koleji Spor Kulübü. In Group B, Slovakia’s Hockey Team Petrzalka takes on the VSV Lady Hawks.

Three more EWHL Euro Cup games follow on Saturday. The European Women’s Hockey League will also drop the puck on its new season, with EVB Eagles South Tyrol hosting Lakers Kärnten in the opening game.

Another three Euro Cup games are scheduled for Sunday before the opening weekend concludes with an all-Austrian matchup in the EWHL, as KSV Highlanders host the Graz99ers Huskies. The game will also count towards the win2day Austrian Women’s Hockey League standings, meaning valuable points in the battle for the top spots – and a potential place in the outdoor game in Bischofshofen – will already be on the line on opening weekend.