On Friday, September 12, 2025, the starting signal for the 26th season of the Win2day Ice Hockey League is given. With a new club, new milestones and lace ice hockey at a top level-in the arenas, on ORF or at the new streaming partner Sporteurope.tv-the league once more promises high voltage from the start.
From the new foundation to today
The multinational ICE Hockey League was launched in 2000/01 with ten clubs. Five clubs are still part of the league: EC-KAC, EC VSV, Moser Medical Graz99ers, Steinbach Black Wings Linz and HC Tiwag Innsbruck. Since then, a total of 24 teams have contested at least one season in the multinational league-in the 2025/26 season, the 25th team is added with FTC-Telekom Budapest.
Records and milestones
A total of 45,209 goals have been scored in 7,395 games since the new was founded. One who particularly stands out is Thomas Raffl: with 966 missions, he was on the ice in around 13 % of all league games. If the striker remains injury -free, he will be 1,000 in January 2026. Complete league game – only second player after Thomas Koch (1,163 games).
The EC-KAC can also look forward to a special milestone: on November 16 in Ljubljana, the record champion denies his 1,500. Liga game. With 1,482 games so far and 4,787 goals, the red jackets lead both eternal statistics.
Defending champion and hunted
The focus is again on the EC Red Bull Salzburg. The series master won his tenth title since the founding of a league last season – and for the fourth time in series. No club has managed to win such a winning streamer. The number one challenger remains the EC-KAC, which so far has been able to celebrate six titles in the multinational league in 2000 (or 32 Austrian championships since the club was founded).
The newcomer from Budapest
With FTC-Telekom Budapest, the 31-way Hungarian champion gets into the league. A new national derby ensures additional tension: for the first time there is a Hungarian duel with Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in the Win2day Ice Hockey League. The first direct meeting will increase on November 14th.
Season start and TV presence
The season starts on Friday, September 12th with six encounters. A highlight is waiting on Sunday when it comes to the final new edition EC Red Bull Salzburg against EC-KAC-transferred live to ORF 1.
Fans can follow all games of the season at the new streaming partner Sporteurope.tv. Particularly attractive: the 12-month pass at an early bird price of € 19.90 per month (instead of € 24.90) with promo code ICE5-only for a short time. Click here for the offer.
The offer includes:
– Validity for twelve months – no automatic extension
– monthly payment
– Access to all games of all teams – including playoffs
– cross -season use possible
-In addition, up to 30 games per season are transferred to ORF on Free TV in Austria: eight games of them to ORF 1.
The mode
Win2day Ice Hockey League relies on the tried and tested mode in the 2025/26 season. By March 1st, the 13 teams will play two round and second half of the rounds with a total of 48 games per club. Places one to six move directly into the quarter-finals, while the teams in ranks seven to ten carry the pre-playoffs in “Best-of-3” mode. Quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals each follow in “Best-of-7” format.
ICE hockey, picture: EC Red Bull Salzburg/Dominik Angerer
