Release from 15.04.2025

Zell am See is Alps Hockey League champion 2024/25

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EK Die Zeller Eisbären were crowned champions of the Alps Hockey League for the first time on Tuesday evening. It is also the first title win by an Austrian team in the history of the multinational league. In the fifth final game against SIJ Acroni Jesenice, they prevailed in front of 2.900 enthusiastic fans in the sold-out KE KELIT Arena with 5:1 and won the “best-of-7” final series 4:1.

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Zell am See reached the finals of the Alps Hockey League for the first time this season and promptly crowned a strong season with the title. They finished both the regular season and the Master Round in first place and only conceded one defeat in the entire playoffs - in the first final game against Jesenice. The Slovenians, who were crowned AHL champions in 2023, suffered their second defeat in the finals.

In the fifth final match, the visitors from Jesenice had the first big chance after just under eight minutes, but failed to score. As the game progressed, Zell am See increasingly took command. In the 16th minute, it was finally captain Robin Johansson who made it 1:0 for the home side with a well-placed shot into the right top corner. Just 50 seconds later Zell am See increased to 2:0 - this time it was Nick Huard who scored after a strong solo effort. Things got heated again towards the end of the third period, but Zell am See went into the first break with a two-goal lead.

Zell am See continued to set the tone in the second period and it took less than six minutes before Kilian Rappold made it 3:0 with a backhand shot. The home side then had further chances to score, with Philip Putnik hitting the crossbar among other things. Jesenice were awarded their first powerplay after 36 minutes, but Hubert Berger made it all clear with a short-handed goal just one second before the powerplay expired.

The score remained 4:0 until just under ten minutes before the end of the game, when Jesenice finally got on the scoreboard through Nejc Brus. However, the Slovenians' hopes of getting back into the game were short-lived: less than two minutes later, Daniel Ban restored their comfortable four-goal lead with a spectacular goal. Nothing more happened in the final minutes - and Zell am See were crowned AHL champions for the 2024/25 season.

Alps Hockey League, Finale 5:
Tue, 15.04.2025
19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 5:1 (2:0, 2:0, 2:1)
Referees: SNOJ, VOICAN, Jeram, Wucherer | Spectators: 2.899
Final standings in the „best-of-7“ series 4:1
Goals EKZ: 1:0 Johansson R. (16./PP1), 2:0 Huard N. (17.), 3:0 Rappold K. (26.), 4:0 Berger H. (39./SH1), 5:1 Ban D. (53.)
Goal JES: 4:1 Brus N. (51.)

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