Current Situation
Three consecutive wins propelled the team up to seventh place in the standings, followed by a minor setback—a 3–5 loss in Klagenfurt—that saw them slip back to ninth. While the Red Bulls are making progress, they are still working toward achieving a consistently high level of performance. Glimpses of this were evident two days ago in Skellefteå during a 2–4 defeat against the Swedish champions, where the Salzburg squad’s fighting spirit set a promising tone.
The situation is quite different for the team from Upper Austria, which has secured five straight victories and currently sits in second place. Head coach Philipp Lukas’s side has impressed with wins against Graz, Klagenfurt, and Pustertal, suggesting they have already found the right chemistry. This is notable given that, following 12 departures over the summer—including former Salzburg players Andreas Kristler and Thomas Höneckl, both of whom have since announced their retirement—the roster underwent a major overhaul, with ten new players brought in.
Linz Bolstered by Strong New Additions
New forward Brady Shaw has made an immediate impact; having previously demonstrated his scoring prowess in Innsbruck and, last season, in Budapest, the 34-year-old Canadian now leads Linz in scoring with 7 goals and 8 assists. Long-time Linz players Graham Knott and Emilio Romig have each found the back of the net four times, while another newcomer, Kyle Topping, has also settled in well, contributing 3 goals and 8 assists.
Philipp Wimmer—who moved to Linz this summer after spending nine years within the Red Bull Hockey Academy and the Salzburg professional team—has also recorded one goal and three assists in ten games. The 24-year-old defenseman now returns to Salzburg with his new club for this derby matchup.
