Monday, 27. July 2026 |
ICE schedule released
With the addition of the Italian ice hockey club from Milan, Hockey Club Milano, the win2day ICE Hockey League once again consists of 14 teams (it previously had 14 teams in the 2021/22 season, although Bratislava withdrew from the league during the regular season). This brings even greater diversity and competition to the pan-European league and also ensures an even number of participants, making the standings after each matchday more meaningful.
Milan: Red Bulls' Longest Away Trip
With Milan becoming the 14th team, the league has also expanded geographically. The biggest "mileage eater" from Salzburg's perspective remains Budapest (550km) and Székesfehérvár (510km), and now Milan, the new leader in this ranking at 580km. The journey to the Italian fashion capital is estimated at over seven hours by car.
The Red Bulls will face the new club, now the third from Italy, for the first time in their home game on October 4th. Salzburg's first away game in Milan will take place on December 2nd.
Early Heated Matchups
The Red Bulls kick off the 2026/27 season against two attractive but tough opponents. The first game of the season, on September 18th, sees KAC visit the Salzburg Ice Arena – naturally, the first home game of the new season will feature Ladies' Night – while the second matchday on September 20th takes the Red Bulls to Bolzano. The Wednesday games begin in the second week with a home game against Innsbruck; the Red Bulls' only Tuesday game is on December 22nd against Klagenfurt.
Further highlights in the early stages of the regular season include home games against Villach (September 25th), Bolzano (September 30th), and the derby against Linz (October 16th). A somewhat unusual situation arises with two home games against the reigning champions from Graz within a week (November 20th and 27th), with an away game against Innsbruck (November 22nd) and a home game against Pustertal (November 25th) in between.
Mario Huber on the start of the league season: “It’s perfect for us to start against two such tough opponents right away. Especially considering the Champions Hockey League, where we’re already facing a lot of challenges. We’ll see where we stand right at the beginning of the season. And we can learn a lot from the very start.”
Mountain Classic
An open-air event is planned for the last weekend of January at the ski jump in Bischofshofen. The Carinthian derby and the match between EC Red Bull Salzburg and the Steinbach Black Wings Linz (January 31, 2027) are scheduled to take place there.
All games live
Eight games will be broadcast live on ORF 1 in the upcoming season, and another 22 games can be seen on ORF Sport+. All games will also be available via the streaming partner Sporteurope.TV.
The Red Bulls' schedule leading up to the season opener
Mon, Aug 3 | Training begins at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy
Wed, Aug 12 | 5:30 PM | Exhibition game in České Budějovice vs. HC Motor České Budějovice
Sat, Aug 15 | 5:00 PM | Exhibition game in Hradec Králové vs. Mountfield HK
Fri–Sat, Aug 21–22 | Red Bulls Salute in Zell am See
Thu, Sep 3 | 7:15 PM | CHL | EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. Cologne Sharks
Sat, Sep 5 | 7:15 PM | CHL | EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. Bílí Tygři Liberec
Fri, Sep 11 | 7:00 PM | CHL | Rögle Ängelholm vs. EC Red Bull Salzburg
Sun, Sep 13 | 3:00 PM | CHL | Växjö Lakers vs. EC Red Bull Salzburg
Fri, 18 Sep | 7:15 p.m. | EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. EC-KAC
Sun, Sep 20 | 6p.m. | HCB Südtirol Alperia vs. EC Red Bull Salzburg
League Format Unchanged
The win2day ICE Hockey League will feature 14 teams in the 2026/27 season. Hockey Club Milano from Italy is a new addition. This brings the total number of teams in the pan-European league to eight Austrian, three Italian, two Hungarian, and one Slovenian. The defending champions are the Moser Medical Graz99ers.
The regular season will consist of a double round-robin format. The teams finishing in first through sixth place after 52 games will qualify directly for the playoff quarterfinals. The teams finishing seventh through tenth will compete in a best-of-three series in the pre-playoffs, with the seventh-place team choosing whether to face the ninth- or tenth-place team. The winners of these two series will advance to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal pairings will also be determined by a playoff pick. The top three teams after the regular season will select their opponents. The fourth team is not available for selection and will face the team that was not chosen in the pick. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and final are all played in a best-of-seven format. The first team to win four matches advances to the next round.
Mit Video
Only four weeks until the first preseason game// TRAINING
Red Bulls kick off CHL season with home doubleheader// CHL | REGULAR SEASON
Red Bulls' Schedule until CHL Opener// PRE-SEASON PROGRAM