The win2day ICE Hockey League will play the 42nd round on Friday, followed by two games of the 43rd round on Saturday. In the absolute top game, second-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers welcomes third-placed EC Red Bull Salzburg. The 99ers have the chance to become the second team to qualify for the playoffs early. There will also be a direct duel for the top 10 between the EC iDM heat pumps VSV and the Steinbach Black Wings Linz, and table leaders EC-KAC will be visiting the Pioneers Vorarlberg. In addition, the second Tyrol derby between HCB Südtirol Alperia and HC TIWAG Innsbruck is due within 48 hours. HC Falkensteiner Pustertal and Olimpija Ljubljana are completing a road trip with two games within 24 hours.
With the game Moser Medical Graz99ers against EC Red Bull Salzburg, an absolute top game is on the program on Friday. Graz, second in the table, can secure playoff qualification with a win after regular playing time – regardless of other results. They would also be guaranteed a top 6 place if they scored at least as many points as Fehérvár did against Ljubljana. This means that even if you lose after 60 minutes, it can be enough if Fehérvár also remains without points in the parallel game.
With 78 points, Graz is currently four points behind leaders KAC and three points ahead of third-place Salzburg. The Red Bulls lost 4-2 in Budapest on Wednesday, one of only two defeats in their last 16 games. The 99ers were last in action last Saturday and celebrated a 4-0 win at the Pioneers after losing 2-3 in Innsbruck the day before. Overall, the Styrians are also in outstanding form, with eight wins from their last ten games. They are also doing well against the Red Bulls this season, with two wins from three meetings so far. However, Salzburg won the last duel at home 3-0.
Direct duel for the top 10 in Villach
The EC iDM Heat Pumps VSV is really worried about pre-playoff qualification. As eleventh in the table, the Carinthians are currently three points behind the important tenth place. But the Steinbach Black Wings Linz, in ninth place, are only three points ahead of Villach. In the three duels of the season so far, Linz has won two. However, the Upper Austrians are currently on a losing streak of two games, while the Carinthians have won two of the last three games. Linz has had enormous problems away from home all season long, with only four wins – two of them after regular time – from 19 games. One of these successes was a 5:4 overtime win in Villach.
League leaders KAC visit the Pioneers
On Wednesday, the KAC’s five-game winning streak ended with a 2-3 defeat in Pustertal. On Friday the Red Jackets, who are still missing some regular players, will be visiting twelfth-placed Pioneers Vorarlberg, who won their first home game against KAC 2-1 after a shootout. Both games in Klagenfurt ended in victories for the home team. The Pioneers’ current form is also good, with three wins from their last five games. They have won six of the last ten games in front of their home crowd, while the KAC only suffered two defeats in the last ten away games.
Second Tyrol derby within 48 hours
Just on Wednesday, HC TIWAG Innsbruck and HCB Südtirol Alperia faced each other in an intense Tyrol derby in Innsbruck, which the guests from South Tyrol narrowly won 5:4 after overtime. Now there will be a re-match in Bolzano just 48 hours later. The home team won the first meeting in the South Tyrolean capital 3-1. Overall, the Foxes have prevailed in all of the last eight derbies. In the table, Bolzano is in fourth place, just one point behind third-placed Salzburg, while Innsbruck is at the bottom of the table.
Vienna against Pustertal demanded
The Vienna Capitals are currently in the important tenth place in the table and are therefore also worried about pre-playoff qualification. Their lead over eleventh-placed Villach is only three points. Pustertal, on the other hand, is in a strong fifth place, already 15 points ahead of seventh-placed Fehérvár. The South Tyroleans’ current winning streak is already four games, most recently they defeated leaders EC-KAC 3-2 on Wednesday. The Capitals, in turn, won 5-2 in Innsbruck last weekend after suffering three defeats in a row. In a direct season comparison with Pustertal, they had to admit defeat in overtime in the first two encounters before a narrow 3-2 away win followed. For Pustertal it is the first of two games within 24 hours – on Saturday they play at Hydro Fehérvár AV19. For all Italian fans, the game can be seen in the free live stream on DAZN Italia.
Fehérvár demands Ljubljana
The Hungarians will first face Olimpija Ljubljana on Friday. The Slovenians were crowned champions in the domestic championship last week after a 3-0 series win over HDD Jesenice. Their last appearance in the win2day ICE Hockey League was on January 11th when they beat Linz at home 4-1. Fehérvár, however, suffered one defeat in each of the last four games. As seventh in the table, they are already eleven points behind sixth-placed Ljubljana. The home side won the first duel of the season in Fehérvár 3-1, and the Slovenians won both clashes in Ljubljana. For Olimpija it is also the first of two games within 24 hours – on Saturday they play at FTC-Telekom.
Two games on Saturday
The 43rd round opens on Saturday with two games, with the Hungarian teams having home advantage in both encounters. Fehérvár faces Pustertal – the guests from South Tyrol won the first two duels of the season (4:0, 3:1).
In addition, FTC-Telekom will play against Ljubljana on Friday. On Wednesday, the Budapest team picked up a surprise 4-2 home win against Salzburg, moving them up to eighth place ahead of Friday’s games and ending a three-game losing streak. However, FTC-Telekom has so far remained winless against Ljubljana, with three defeats from as many meetings.
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Fri, January 23, 2026:
6:30 p.m.: Moser Medical Graz99ers – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: GEBEI, SMETANA, Bärnthaler, Nothegger
7:15 p.m.: Vienna Capitals – HC Falkensteiner Pustertal
Referees: SEEWALD E., STERNAT, Bedynek, Weiss | LIVE ON DAZN Italia (only available in Italy)
7:15 p.m.: EC iDM heat pumps VSV – Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: FICHTNER, GROZNIK, Jeram, Muzsik
7:15 p.m.: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: OFNER, SOOS, Puff, Vaczi
7:30 p.m.: Pioneers Vorarlberg – EC-KAC
Referees: NIKOLIC M., RIVIS, Fleischmann, Strimitzer
7:45 p.m.: HCB Südtirol Alperia – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, HUBER A., Mantovani, Pardatscher
Sat, January 24th, 2026:
5:30 p.m.: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC Falkensteiner Pustertal
Referees: GEBEI, HRONSKY, Durmis, Jedlicka
6:30 p.m.: FTC Telekom – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: PIRAGIC, REZEK, Muzsik, Vaczi
www.ice.hockey, Image: HCI / PAPA Productions
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