EC Red Bull Salzburg will play the first away game of the new year in the win2day ICE Hockey League tomorrow, Monday, at HCB Südtirol Alperia (7:45 p.m., live stream).
After ten wins in a row, this will be the next real tough test for the Red Bulls, as the direct duel is about third place in the table. The South Tyroleans are also currently on the rise and have won seven of the last eight games. This game is particularly important for Salzburg’s captain Thomas Raffl, who will celebrate his 1,000th game in Bozen. game in the win2day ICE Hockey League.
Initial situation
It’s the game of the Monday round: With the duel between HCB Südtirol and the Red Bulls, the two most successful teams in the league meet each other, measured by the number of wins. Salzburg enters the game on a 10-game winning streak, while Bozen has only lost once in the last eight games. The Red Bulls are in third place in the table with 64 points, followed by Bozen with 63 points, but have played two fewer games. The season duel so far is also evenly matched, with both teams winning once away from home.
The community within the team that has been found again in the last few weeks speaks for Salzburg. This affects the game of the Red Bulls, who apply pressure with four lines, have the best defense in the league and are no longer stingy with goals. In the last four games they have hit the mark a total of 20 times.
In Bolzano, head coach Doug Shedden should find the right address. The 64-year-old Canadian with many years of coaching experience in the Finnish Liiga, the Swiss NL and the DEL replaced his predecessor Kurt Kleinendorst in the coaching bench on December 15th and has only lost once in seven games since then. Yesterday Bolzano won the South Tyrolean derby against HC Pustertal in Bruneck 5-3, while the Red Bulls recorded a dominant 6-1 home win against the Vienna Capitals.
Thomas Raffl sets a personal milestone
It’s an impressive number: When Thomas Raffl goes on the ice in Bolzano on Monday, he will be playing his 1,000th. Play in the win2day ICE Hockey League! Only Thomas Koch, who also played for the Red Bulls from 2006 to 2011 and ended his career at KAC in 2023, has achieved this mark before him. Raffl played his first Bundesliga game in 2003 with his home club EC VSV, and his long journey with the Red Bulls began in November 2010 (interrupted only by one season in North America), which continues to this day.
The 39-year-old Red Bulls captain played 234 games with VSV. The striker has played 765 games with EC Red Bull Salzburg so far, including 169 in the playoffs. This means that the father of a daughter is not far away from becoming Salzburg’s record player. Only two players who have already retired from ice hockey have more games with the Red Bulls to their name: Dominique Heinrich (796) and Matthias Trattnig (768).
Thomas Raffl about the upcoming game
“The ten wins in the past don’t help us. We’re always looking forward and the next tough challenge awaits us with Bolzano. Everyone has to be ready from the first minute and do their part. Then it’ll definitely be a good game in Bolzano again.”
Thomas Raffl on the upcoming anniversary
“It reflects a long career. To have one, you have to do a lot of things right. The games themselves are just the result of this process. It’s the long preparations in the background and all the training that is now paying off. I’m just happy that I’m in top shape and can still play.”
Season duel Red Bulls vs. HCB Südtirol Alperia | 1:1
09/12/25 | HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC Red Bull Salzburg 3:4 (1:0, 1:3, 1:1)
10/03/25 | EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 1:4 (0:1, 0:1, 1:2)
All-time record Red Bulls vs. HCB Südtirol Alperia
Since 2013: 93 games | 51 wins RBS | 42 wins HCB
Last ten games: SSNSSSNSSN
The last ten away games: SNNNSSNSSS
win2day ICE Hockey League
HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Mon, 05.01.2026 | Bolzano, 7:45 p.m
ecrbs.redbulls.com , Image: HCB/Vanna Antonello
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