The first two game days of the Champions Hockey League season 2025/26 are on the program from Thursday to Sunday. From the Win2day Ice Hockey League’s point of view, Champion EC Red Bull Salzburg, runner-up EC-KAC and the third of the basic round, HCB South Tyrol Alperia, are represented at the most important European ice hockey competition.
The EC-KAC is the first ICE team into the action. The Klagenfurter will meet the Czech top club Sparta Prague on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. The game against the German champions Eisbären Berlin will also follow in the Heidi Horten-Arena Klagenfurter Heidi Horten-Arena. The capitals from Germany clearly prevailed against the Cologne Haie in the final series of the past DEL season. The polar bears have never played a competitive game against the KAC – just as little as the Carinthian against Sparta Prague.
ICE title defender EC Red Bull Salzburg also starts the new campaign with two home games. First, the Mozartstadt residents received the Polish champion GKS Tychy on Friday before going out of DEL against the Pinguins Bremerhaven on Sunday. Bremerhaven failed in the quarter-finals in the last DEL season, but ended the basic round in third place and thus qualified for the Chl. So far, Salzburg has neither played a competitive game against Tychy nor against Bremerhaven. The games of Salzburg and Klagenfurt are broadcast live to ORF Sport+.
The third ICE team in this year’s CHL season is HCB South Tyrol Alperia. The “foxes” are again represented in the European ice hockey king class after one year. However, their start could hardly be more difficult: in the first game, Bolzano guests at record champion Frölunda Gothenburg. The Swedes already won the competition four times, last 2020. Last season was in the semi -finals for Frölunda in the local league, as well as for Bozen. On Sunday, the South Tyroleans also meet the Finnish top team Lukko Rauma.
All games live on Sporteurope.tv
If you want to see more than just the games of the Austrian representatives of Salzburg and Klagenfurt – whose games can all be seen on ORF Sport+ or Orf on – you will find it on Sporteurope.tv. There, all games can be followed either as a pay-per-view for € 6.90 or with an all-access pass for € 45. The All-Access Pass gives access to all games of the entire season.
New “No Return” rule
In the new CHL season, the “No Return” rule is used for the first time in overtime. This prohibits teams that are in puck ownership in the third of the attack to withdraw into the neutral zone. In the event of a violation, the game is interrupted and the following bully is set in the defense third of the fallible team. The aim of the rule is to counteract the tendency to withdraw and re-form it at low pressure-a way of playing that reduces the intensity of the 3-opposite-3 and led to more games only decided in penalty shooting.
Champions Hockey League:
Thu, 28.08.2025:
8:20 p.m.: EC-KAC-Sparta Prague
Fri, 29.08.2025:
7:00 p.m.: Frölunda Gothenburg – HCB South Tyrol Alperia
8:20 p.m.: EC Red Bull Salzburg – GKS Tychy
Sat, 30.08.2025:
8:20 p.m.: EC-Klagenfurt-Eisbären Berlin
So, 31.08.2025:
3:00 p.m.: Lukko Rauma – HCB South Tyrol Alperia
5:30 p.m.: EC Red Bull Salzburg – Penguins Bremerhaven
Now on
Chl quiz participate and test your own knowledge.
Ice.Hockey, Image: Gintare Karpaviciute – EC Red Bull Salzburg
