Tuesday, 20. October 2026 |
Red Bulls vs. Olimpija Ljbljana | Teemu Levijoki
This marks the Red Bulls’ first encounter of the season with the formidable Slovenian side. Following yesterday’s coaching change, the team aims to take the first step toward gelling under the new leadership and climbing out of the bottom of the league standings.
Next Home Game
On 21 October vs. Olimpija Ljubljana | 7.15 p.m.
Situation
Olimpija Ljubljana arrives in Salzburg sitting third in the standings and full of confidence, having won their last five games—a run that includes victories over reigning champions Graz and the current league leaders, Bolzano. Last Sunday, they secured a decisive 5–2 home win against Innsbruck, further underscoring their strong form.
New signing Joshua Lawrence has made an immediate impact in Ljubljana; the 24-year-old Canadian has netted 10 goals in just 11 games and currently leads the league in scoring with 18 points. Nicolai Meyer, now in his second year with the club, continues to be a consistent goalscorer, having already found the net 8 times. Together with Marly Quince, the Slovenian side currently boasts three players among the league’s top four scorers. It is no coincidence, therefore, that Olimpija Ljubljana—with 52 goals scored—is currently the most potent offensive team in the league.
Salzburg looks to (and must) reset
The Red Bulls sit in the middle of the pack (7th) with 33 goals scored, but their 42 goals conceded—the second-worst record in the league—have left them in 12th place. Following a bitter defeat to Linz, during which the Salzburg side completely lost their rhythm from the second period onwards, the team is now looking to stabilize under a new coaching staff and get back on the winning track.
The squad—with everyone available except for the recovering Thomas Raffl—has already completed two training sessions under new head coach Teemu Levijoki and aims to surprise Ljubljana with a fresh burst of energy. In terms of scoring, Peter Schneider leads the way with 9 goals—an impressive tally by league standards. Mario Huber follows with 4 goals, while Benjamin Nissner—with 2 goals and 10 assists—stands as Salzburg’s top overall scorer. It remains to be seen whether the latest addition to the roster, Ty Rattie, will be available to play.
Teemu Levijoki in a New Role
The 50-year-old Finn arrived at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy in 2013 from Helsinki, where he had coached the U20 and U18 youth teams for HIFK. For his first two years, he served as an assistant and head coach for the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, who were competing in the MHL at the time. He subsequently took charge of the Academy’s U18 squad in an international youth league, before becoming head coach of the Red Bull Hockey Juniors in the Alps Hockey League (AHL) in 2018—a position he held while guiding the team through Austria’s second-tier international league. The young squad’s best finish in the AHL to date came in the 2022/23 season, when they reached the semi-finals, ultimately being eliminated by Cortina in a decisive seventh game.
Under his guidance, many players have been developed who are now active in leagues such as the NHL (e.g., JJ Peterka), the AHL (e.g., Phillip Sinn and Julian Lutz), and various other professional leagues across Europe. Within the current Red Bulls roster, players such as Adrian Gesson, Alexander Rebernig, Fabian Baumann, Luca Auer, Lukas Hörl, Mathias Böhm, and Maximilian Wurzer have all recently honed their skills under the Finn’s tutelage.
On October 19, Levijoki was appointed head coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg, succeeding the Canadian Alan Letang, who had only taken on the role this past summer.
Daniel Petersson Returns as Assistant Coach
In addition to assistant coach Ilkka Pakarinen—who moved up to the professional team from the Red Bull Hockey Juniors alongside Teemu Levijoki—Daniel Petersson will also return to the bench as an assistant coach. The 44-year-old Swede has been working with various teams within the academy since 2013 and joined the professional squad as an assistant coach in the spring of 2021. At the start of the current season, Petersson took on the role of player development coach, but he will now return to serving as an assistant coach, bringing with him the full breadth of his experience from six years of working with the professional team.
Highlights Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Red Bulls from last home game | 30.1.26
Statement from Teemu Levijoki
"Yesterday was an intense day. After taking care of everything that’s necessary in situations like this, today was effectively my first real day of training with the guys. We worked on aspects that have been missing lately—things intended to help restore their self-confidence. I’m really looking forward to our first game against Ljubljana, and from there, we’ll look to improve step by step. There are plenty of games ahead where we can continue to work on our habits."
win2day ICE Hockey League
EC Red Bull Salzburg – Olimpija Ljubljana
Wed, 21.10.2026 | Eisarena Salzburg, 7.15 p.m.
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