The EK Die Zeller Eisbären celebrated a 4-2 win against the Red Bull Hockey Juniors in front of over 1,800 fans in the second leg of the final in the Eisarena Salzburg on Saturday and secured the Austrian championship title in the Alps Hockey League with an overall score of 7:5 after the 3-3 draw in the first leg.
After the 3:3 in the first leg on Thursday in Zell am See, the starting point for the decisive final second leg between the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and the EK Die Zeller Eisbären was clear and simple: the winner of the game – regardless of whether after 60 minutes, overtime or a penalty shootout – is the Austrian champion of the Alps Hockey League. The hosts started the all-important second Salzburg derby like a surprise: Maxim Eliseev made it 1-0 after exactly 22 seconds (1st). The Hockey Juniors quickly followed suit and took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a goal from Paul Schuster (6th). It took a long time for the Zeller Eisbären to get into the match in terms of results: Kilian Rappold scored the 1-2 goal just before halftime of the game (30th). That was the starting signal for the Pinzgauers to be able to turn the game around. Christian Jennes scored 2-2 for the guests (34′). Exactly one minute before the end of the second third, head coach Marcel Rodman’s team had turned the game around: Kele Steffler gave Zeller the lead for the first time with a score of 3-2 (40′).
In the final section, EKZ keeper Alexander Schmidt, together with his defense, maintained the narrow one-goal lead. The Red Bull Hockey Juniors risked everything, pulled goalie Luca Haitzmann and Christian Jennes made it 4-2 with his second direct goal 52 seconds before the end in the empty goal for Zell am See (60th). The EK Die Zeller Eisbären celebrated a 4:2 win against the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and secured the Austrian championship title in the Alps Hockey League with an overall score of 7:5 after the 3:3 in the first leg. After the Austrian national anthem, ÖEHV Vice President and Alps Hockey League Chairman Dr. Nicolas Stockhammer won the medals, after which the Zeller Eisbären lifted the championship trophy.
Final Austrian Championship Alps Hockey League 2025/2026
Final – second leg:
Red Bull Hockey Juniors vs. EK Die Zeller Eisbären 2:4 (2:0,0:3,0:1)
Sat., February 14, 2026, 7:15 p.m., Eisarena Salzburg
Red Bull Hockey Juniors goal scorers: Maxim Eliseev (1st), Paul Schuster (6th)
Goal scorers EK Die Zeller Eisbären: Kilian Rappold (30th), Christian Jennes (34th/PP1, 60th/EN), Kele Steffler (40th)
EK The Zeller Eisbären with the overall score of 7:5 Austrian champions of the Alps Hockey League
Final – first leg:
EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. Red Bull Hockey Juniors 3:3 (1:0,0:2,2:1)
Thu, February 12, 2026, 8:00 p.m., KE KELIT ARENA
Goal scorers EK Die Zeller Eisbären: Philip Putnik (20th), Tim Coffman (41st/PP1), Paul Reiner (47th)
Red Bull Hockey Juniors goal scorers: Luca Auer (21st), Adrian Gesson (29th), Florian Lanzinger (58th/PP1)
mode
The two best-placed Austrian teams after the basic round of the Austrian Championship in the Alps Hockey League, for which the matches from the completed first and second rounds (= the 1st home and 1st away match) were used and evaluated, play in the final. The Champions Hockey League mode will be used here on February 12th and 14th, with the better placed club starting the away game. The total score (points and goals) of the two games played is taken into account. Overtime and penalty shootouts can only take place in the second leg if the overall result is a draw. In this case, a 10-minute sudden death overtime occurs with three-on-three field players. If overtime ends goalless, the shootout will follow with five shooters each.
eishockey.at , Image: Heiko Mandl / EC Red Bull Salzburg
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