The basic round of the Alps Hockey League ends on Sunday with the KHL Sisak game against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. By then it will be clear which fifth team will qualify for the Master Round and therefore early for the playoffs.
The 39th and last complete round is already on the program on Saturday, where Sisak and Sterzing will also face each other. The Broncos are currently in eighth place, three points behind fifth-placed Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, who are visiting HDD Jesenice. But sixth-placed EC Bregenzerwald, who are hosting HC Migross Asiago, and seventh-placed Rittner Buam SkyAlps, who are facing SG Cortina Hafro at home, also still have a chance of making it into the top five. In the fight for first place, table leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors need one point against the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers to secure the top position. If the Juniors remain without points, Sisak will have to win both games after regular time in order to get past Salzburg.
The Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel go into their final regular season game on Saturday at HDD Jesenice in fifth place. However, it is not in the Tyroleans’ own hands to end up in fifth place, because if the eighth-placed Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan wins both games in Sisak after regular time, the South Tyroleans would still overtake the Tyroleans – even if Kitzbühel wins in Jesenice after regular time, as Vipiteno has won the direct duel. Kitzbühel has lost its last two games, while twelfth-placed Jesenice has failed to win its last four league games. In a direct comparison, the Austrians have won both duels of the season so far.
Bregenzerwald is lurking in sixth place
EC Bregenzerwald is only one point behind Kitzbühel in sixth place, but would lose out to Kitzbühel if they were tied on points. The Vorarlbergers have a difficult home game ahead of them against fourth-placed HC Migross Asiago, who have already been unbeaten in twelve games across all competitions. However, Bregenzerwald won the last home game against the Italians 8:3, while they lost 1:4 in Asiago. The fourth-placed team can still improve to third place, but needs three points against Bregenzerwald to do so, and Sisak is not allowed to score a point against Vipiteno in two games.
Ritten still has a small chance of fifth place
In seventh place, the Rittner Buam SkyAlps are two points behind fifth place, and they also lost the direct duel against Kitzbühel. It will therefore be a very difficult task for the two-time champions to qualify for the Master Round, especially since they have already been waiting for a win in the league for three games. Opponent SG Cortina Hafro, on the other hand, was able to win the last two games and can secure ninth place in the table with a win. The first two direct comparisons each ended in home wins (3:0 RIT, 4:3/SO SGC).
Doubleheader between Sisak and Vipiteno
The only teams still in action twice are KHL Sisak and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, who will face each other in the doubleheader in Croatia on Saturday and Sunday. There is still a lot at stake for both teams. Third-placed Sisak needs three points to move past second-placed Zell am See and can even finish the regular season in first place if they win both games after regular playing time and at the same time table leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors remain without a point at Unterland. For eighth-placed Vipiteno in the table, it’s still a matter of moving up to fifth place and qualifying for the playoffs early. They are currently three points behind fifth-placed Kitzbühel, but they have won the direct duel. With two wins after 60 minutes they would definitely be in fifth place and therefore in the Master Round. The South Tyroleans won the first match of the season 4:3.
Juniors can secure first place with points
League leaders Red Bull Hockey Juniors need one point from bottom team Hockey Unterland Cavaliers to secure their top position. On Thursday, Salzburg celebrated their first win after two defeats in a row, while Unterland was unable to win the last three games. The juniors won the previous two duels of the season 7:2 and 3:1.
Neighborhood duel in the table between Val Gardena and Meran
On Saturday, tenth-placed HC Gherdeina valgardena.it will host eleventh-placed HC Meran/o Pircher. Both teams are separated by two points, and ninth-placed Cortina is only one point ahead of Val Gardena. Both teams were victorious on Thursday: Val Gardena with 3:2/SO against Unterland and Merano surprisingly with 4:1 against Zell am See. The home teams won the first two direct duels of the season (4:3/OT GHE, 3:1 HCM).
Alps Hockey League:
Sat, January 31, 2026:
5:30 p.m.: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: PIRAS, STEFENELLI, Steiner F., Veselka
6:00 p.m.: HDD Jesenice – Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: BROCK, LEBEN, Bergelj, Dummermuth-Haas
6:00 p.m.: Rittner Buam SkyAlps – SG Cortina Hafro
Referees: LAZZERI, RUETZ, Brondi, Divis
7:30 p.m.: EC Bregenzerwald – HC Migross Asiago
Referees: RIVIS, WINKLER, Brondi, Strimitzer
7:30 p.m.: KHL Sisak – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: SNOJ, VOICAN, Miklic, Preiser
8:30 p.m.: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it – HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: MOSCHEN, PINIE, Markizeti, Murnik
Sun, February 1st, 2026:
5:00 p.m.: KHL Sisak – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: OREL, UNTERWEGER, legate, usurer
All games will be broadcast live on Valcome.TV.
alps.hockey , Image: KEC_Laura Ludovika
