The intense Christmas phase in the win2day ICE Hockey League is over, but exciting games continue on Friday. Among other things, there will be the Carinthian derby between the EC iDM heat pumps VSV and the EC-KAC.
There are also two top 6 duels on the program: The Moser Medical Graz99ers host HCB Südtirol Alperia, while EC Red Bull Salzburg meets Olimpija Ljubljana. Pure excitement is also expected in the duel between the Vienna Capitals and the Steinbach Black Wings Linz. Hydro Fehérvár AV19, FTC-Telekom, Pioneers Vorarlberg and HC TIWAG Innsbruck will also be in action on both Friday and Saturday.
In the fourth Carinthian derby of the season and the 363rd in history, the tenth-placed EC iDM Heat Pumps VSV welcomes the leaders EC-KAC. In the first meeting of the season in Villach, the home team celebrated a 5:3 win, followed by two wins for the KAC in Klagenfurt (5:2, 4:1). The current form clearly speaks for the Red Jackets, who have won their last two games and have only lost three of the last ten games. VSV, on the other hand, was only able to win one of its last ten games. In the home table, the Adler are in eleventh place with just 22 points from 16 games, while the KAC is the best away team in the league with 38 points away from home. The historical record also speaks in favor of the EC-KAC: 194 wins for Klagenfurt compared to 149 successes for VSV and 19 draws. In recent years, the Red Jackets have continued to expand their lead – 38 of the last 50 derbies have gone to the KAC, who have also won eleven of the most recent 14 matches.
Top game between Graz and Bozen
The second-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers will face fourth-placed HCB Südtirol Alperia. Both teams are separated by six points, and both teams recently ended a five-game winning streak. The 99ers lost 2:5 in Fehérvár, while Bozen suffered a 1:2/SO home defeat against Salzburg. Graz won the previous two direct duels of the season (6:3, 4:3/SO). Overall, the South Tyroleans have been waiting for a success against the Styrians since November 30, 2024 and now in four games.
Salzburg against Ljubljana: second top 6 duel
In addition to the game between Graz and Bozen, the duel between EC Red Bull Salzburg and Olimpija Ljubljana will also see two top 6 teams meet. The defending champions from the city of Mozart are in third place and have won all of their last eleven games. The Slovenians are in fifth place, four points behind Salzburg, and have won three of their last five matches. This season, both teams have already fought two extremely exciting duels, each of which narrowly went to Ljubljana (2:1, 4:3/OT).
Vienna and Linz are fighting for important points in the top 10 race
Excitement is also guaranteed in the duel between eighth-placed Vienna Capitals and ninth-placed Steinbach Black Wings Linz. The Capitals only have one point more than the Upper Austrians and are only four points ahead of eleventh place FTC-Telekom. Accordingly, these are extremely important points in the fight for the pre-playoffs. Both teams are in good form and have each celebrated three wins from their last five games. Most recently, both teams were successful – each against VSV. However, a big problem for the Black Wings remains their weakness away from home: none of the last five away games could be won, and with a total of only nine away points, Linz is in twelfth place in the away table. The first duel of the season in Vienna ended in a high-scoring game that the Capitals won 7:6. In Linz, the Stahlstadters took revenge with a 4-1 home win.
Road trip for Pioneers and Innsbruck
Both the Pioneers Vorarlberg and HC TIWAG Innsbruck are completing a road trip to Hungary this weekend. Within 24 hours, both teams will meet both Hungarian representatives, for whom important points are also at stake in the fight for the top 10. First of all, the twelfth-placed Pioneers Vorarlberg will be visiting the eleventh-placed FTC-Telekom on Friday. The team from Budapest is only one point behind tenth-placed VSV. However, the current form does not speak for the league newcomer, who has lost all of his last five games, while the Pioneers were able to win their last two games. However, FTC won the previous two duels of the season 3:1 and 6:0. The next day Vorarlberg will meet Hydro Fehérvár AV19, against whom they have won two of the three duels so far this season (4:1 PIV, 3:0 AVS, 4:1 PIV).
On Friday, Fehérvár welcomes Innsbruck, bottom of the table, who have lost all of their last six games. The seventh-placed team from Székesfehérvár recently celebrated two wins in a row and were also able to win the previous three meetings with Innsbruck (4:2, 2:1/OT, 5:4). Innsbruck continues on Saturday in Budapest against FTC-Telekom – the Tyroleans have not been able to win either of the two previous duels of the season against the newcomers (1:3, 2:6).
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Fri, January 9th, 2026:
6:30 p.m.: Moser Medical Graz99ers – HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: GROZNIK, REZEK, Bedynek, Zacherl
6:30 p.m.: FTC Telekom – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Hribar, Muzsik
7:15 p.m.: Vienna Capitals – Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: KAINBERGER, SIEGEL, Gatol, Vaczi
7:15 p.m.: EC Red Bull Salzburg – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: HUBER A., NIKOLIC K., Mantovani, Puff
7:15 p.m.: EC iDM heat pumps VSV – EC-KAC
Referees: HRONSKY, SMETANA, Konc, Riecken
7:15 p.m.: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: NIKOLIC M., SEEWALD E., Durmis, Jedlicka
Sat, January 10, 2026:
5:30 p.m.: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Hribar, Vaczi
6:30 p.m.: FTC Telekom – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: NIKOLIC M., SEEWALD E., Durmis, Jedlicka
All games will be broadcast on streaming partner Sporteurope.tv.
ice.hockey , Image: Vanna Antonello
