The exciting final series in the Austrian Ice Hockey League comes to an absolute decision with game three on Saturday: EHC Lustenau meets the KSV Kangaroos in the Rheinhalle. Last weekend, the Styrians equalized to 1:1 in the best-of-three series with a narrow 3-2 home win and forced a showdown in the very last possible match of the season. One thing is certain: The winner on Saturday is the champion of the Austrian Ice Hockey League – season 2025/2026.
Showdown for the championship in the Austrian Ice Hockey League, Part III: The EHC Lustenau will meet the KSV Kangaroos on Saturday in the all-important third game of the best-of-three series in the Rheinhalle. The Styrians equalized the series last Saturday in the Kapfenberg town hall in the second final game in front of the impressive backdrop of 3,140 fans against the Lions with a narrow 3-2 home win.
Vorarlberg won their first home game 4-2 in front of 1,871 fans, so just over 5,000 fans have already attended this final series. After the 1-1 draw in the series, the starting position is clear: the winner of the third game will be champions of the Austrian Ice Hockey League – 2025/2026 season.
The Kapfenbergers had inflicted their first defeat on the Lustenauers in this year’s playoff – the EHC had won the quarter-final series against ATSE Graz and the semi-final series against HC Kufstein with a sweep (2-0). Overall, it was only the third defeat of the season for the Ländle-Cracks.
The Mürztal team surprisingly lost their home opener against EHC Kundl in the quarter-finals with 1:2 after a penalty shootout, but then won the series 2:1. In the semi-finals, Kapfenberg won against SC Hohenems 2-0, and the home game in particular was extremely spectacular with the comeback from a 0-3 and 1-4 deficit in the last minutes of the final third and the 5-4 victory after a penalty shootout. The Kangaroos’ second playoff defeat came in Lustenau in the first final game. This means that both final opponents have five wins in the playoffs so far.
126 games have been played in the current Austrian Ice Hockey League season, the 127th match will decide the title on Saturday. A little fun fact on the side: If the final had been held in Champions Hockey League mode as in the previous four seasons, EHC Lustenau would be champions with an overall score of 6:5. But that’s in the past, the near future brings a top-class ice hockey showdown in the Lustenau Rheinhalle on Saturday from 5:30 p.m. High tension is guaranteed in this crime trilogy even before the first faceoff!
Dániel Fekete, head coach of EHC Lustenau, knows what is important for his team now: “We have analyzed the game in Kapfenberg. Our focus is now on the all-important third game, which we can play in front of our home crowd. We will do everything we can to ensure that the cup stays in Lustenau so that we can celebrate the title together. We have 60 or more intense minutes of play ahead of us in which Kapfenberg will demand everything from us – but it is The team is prepared for this big showdown. We will try to put the opponent under pressure from the start. An early goal would of course support our efforts. However, we will not run into the open and act too offensively. Our team is hoping for loud support from the stands so that the home advantage in the Rheinhalle is guaranteed!
Kapfenberg’s player-coach Kristof Reinthaler is relying on a strong defense and efficient use of chances in the decisive title duel away from home: “We definitely have to confirm Saturday’s performance. We have seen that we can play strong defensively and create good chances offensively, even if there are not as many as we are used to. The few have to be inside and we have to be fully awake at the back!”
KSV striker Kevin Moderer is relying on the energy from the series so far: “We have one more game left, we have to see how we approach the whole thing, keep our energy level high and then we’ll see what will happen!”
Ö Ice Hockey League 2025/2026 – Playoff – Final
Game 3:
EHC Lustenau vs. KSV Kangaroos
Sat., March 21, 2026, 5:30 p.m., Rheinhalle Lustenau – >> to the live stream
Standing in the best-of-three series: 1:1
Game 2:
KSV Kangaroos vs. EHC Lustenau 3:2 (2:1.0:1.1:0)
Sat., March 14, 2026, 6:30 p.m., Kapfenberg town hall
Goal scorers KSV Kangaroos: Pierre Graf (01:27 min.), Kevin Moderer (06:02 min.), Michael Malle (40:30 min.)
Goal scorers EHC Lustenau: Robin Wüstner (04:45 min.), Lucas Haberl (34:36 min./SH1)
Game 1:
EHC Lustenau vs. KSV Kangaroos 4:2 (0:0.1:0.3:2)
Sat., March 7, 2026, 5:30 p.m., Rheinhalle Lustenau
Goal scorers EHC Lustenau: Riku Tiainen (39:55 min., 47:06 min.), Martin Grabher Meier (41:32 min.), Jonas Kutzer (53:43 min./PP1)
Goal scorers KSV Kangaroos: Pierre Graf (45:23 min.), Christoph Draschkowitz (54:23 min.)
eishockey.at
“), i.text = “window._taboola = window._taboola || ();_taboola.push({mode:’alternating-thumbnails-a’, container:’taboola-below-article-thumbnails’, placement:’below-article’, target_type: ‘mix’});”, n.appendChild(l), n.appendChild(i), e(n, t) } Array.prototype.filter || (Array.prototype.filter = function(e, t) { if (“function” != typeof e) throw TypeError(); let n = (); for (let l = 0, i = this.length >>> 0; l < i; l += 1) if (l in this) { let r = this(l); e.call(t, r, l, this) && n.push(r) } return n }), window.insertAfter = e, window.getElementByXPath = t, window.injectWidgetByXpath = function e(l) { let i = t(l) ||. document.getElementById("tbdefault"); i && n(i) }, window.injectWidgetByMarker = function e
