Saturday, 24. October 2026 |
Red Bulls vs. Pioneers Vorarlberg
Current Situation
After 13 rounds, the Red Bulls have recovered somewhat from a weak start to the season—currently sitting in 9th place—and are increasingly moving closer to their desired level of performance. In their last two victories against Ljubljana and Innsbruck under new head coach Teemu Levijoki, the Salzburg side displayed a new, or at least long-unseen, side of themselves, earning their points through a significantly improved team game. Playing in front of their home crowd, the Red Bulls now aim to dictate the pace and secure all available points against the Pioneers Vorarlberg, who have yet to win a game this season. Salzburg won the previous encounter 4–1 in Feldkirch three weeks ago.
The Pioneers are firmly rooted at the bottom of the standings, having collected only a single point so far. However, despite the Red Bulls appearing to be clear favorites, caution is advised; the Vorarlberg side features a top trio—Guus van Nes, Blake Murray, and Noah Serdachny—who have scored more than half of the team’s total goals (17 out of 30) and are capable of deciding games on their own. Even during Salzburg’s 4–1 win in Feldkirch three weeks ago, the Pioneers managed to narrow the gap to 2–1 in the final period before the Red Bulls were finally able to seal the victory.
Finnish Coaching Expertise
What both teams have in common is that they are led by Finnish head coaches. In Salzburg, Teemu Levijoki took over from Alan Letang as head coach this past Monday and has already played a part in securing two wins in his first two games. A key advantage is that the 50-year-old comes from within the organization, having spent the last 13 years developing talent at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy.
The Pioneers brought in Marko Ojanen ahead of this season to steer the ship in Vorarlberg. The 53-year-old Finn brings with him 16 years of experience as an assistant coach at three different top-tier Finnish clubs (most recently with HIFK in the Liiga). His role in Feldkirch marks his first-ever position as a head coach.
Personnel Update
In addition to Thomas Raffl, who has been sidelined for some time, Peter Schneider (upper-body injury) and Olivier Galipeau (lower-body injury) will also be out for several weeks. Both players sustained their injuries during Wednesday’s game against Ljubljana and are currently undergoing conservative treatment.
Highlights first season game in Feldkirch
Statement from Mario Huber
"We are finding our rhythm better with the new coaching staff, but that will certainly take some more time. Against Feldkirch, we’ll continue working on improving our game—which, above all, means staying solid defensively, because Feldkirch has real quality in their attack. They know how to score goals!"
win2day ICE Hockey League
EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. Pioneers Vorarlberg
Sun, Oct 25, 2026 | Eisarena Salzburg, 3:00 PM
Sporteurope.tv | CheckerBande Family Day
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Red Bulls Win 4–2 in Innsbruck// GAME DAY
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