Thursday, 23. April 2026 |
CHL
When the Champions Hockey League kicks off its regular season on September 3, 2026, the Red Bulls are also looking forward to the challenge of Europe's top league. With the Moser Medical Graz99ers' win2day ICE Hockey League title, the Red Bulls have automatically qualified, as the Styrian team had already secured their CHL spot as regular season champions, and the third starting place is therefore awarded to the third-place finisher in the regular season. KAC secured the second starting place by finishing second in the regular season.
CHL Game Highlight | EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. ERC Ingolstadt | 19.11.25
Salzburg's Journey Through the CHL
The CHL, currently comprised of 24 teams, was first held in the 2014/15 season. The upcoming season will mark the 12th edition of the league featuring Europe's best clubs; only the 2020/21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Bulls have been a part of the league since its inception and have missed only one season (2019/20).
While the regular season was played in groups for the first eight years, the format changed three years ago to a single regular season in which each team plays against six different opponents. The top 16 teams qualify for the playoff round of 16.
The Red Bulls' strongest performance came in the 2018/19 season, when they reached the semifinals, where they were defeated by Red Bull Munich. On their way there, they prevailed against teams including the Växjö Lakers, SC Bern, and Kärpät Oulu (quarterfinals).
With the exception of the 2023/24 season, Salzburg has always reached the playoffs. This season, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by ERC Ingolstadt. In the previous season, 2024/25, the Red Bulls achieved their second-best CHL result, reaching the quarterfinals where they lost to Färjestad Karlstad.
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Red Bulls impress with victory against Ingolstadt despite CHL elimination// CHL | PLAYOFFS
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Red Bulls advance to the CHL playoffs with home win against Berlin// CHL REGULAR SEASON
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Red Bulls celebrate a 6-point weekend at the start of the CHL// CHL REGULAR SEASON