Championship begins in the Alps Hockey League

The 11th Alps Hockey League season gets under way on Saturday, 19 September. A total of 13 teams from four nations will take part: seven teams from Italy, four from Austria and one club each from Slovenia and Croatia. During the regular season, each team will play 36 games.

Austria will be represented by EK Die Zeller Eisbären, EC-KAC Future Team, EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel and Red Bull Hockey Juniors. After a two-year break, the Klagenfurt side, who have a bye in the opening round, return to the league. EC Bregenzerwald will not take part this year.

Showdown for domestic Alps title

Alongside the multinational championship, the Austrian Alps Hockey League title will once again be contested this year. The defending champions are Zeller Eisbären, who prevailed against Red Bull Hockey Juniors in February 2026. For this ranking, the first home and away games between the four Austrian teams during the regular season will count.

The first of these encounters takes place as early as Thursday (24 September, 19 o’clock), when EC-KAC Future Team host Red Bull Hockey Juniors. The two highest-ranked Austrian teams after the regular season will meet in the final during the IIHF break in February 2027 (home and away legs, CHL format).

HC Gherdeina begin as defending champions

In the overall league, HC Gherdeina valgardena.it will defend their title, which the South Tyroleans won for the first time last season. They defeated HC Meran/o Pircher 4:0 in the final. The same fixture will be repeated on the opening matchday.

The top five teams after the regular season qualify directly for the Master Round, while the remaining eight compete in two groups for the remaining playoff places. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will each be played in a best-of-seven format. The main matchdays remain Thursday and Saturday, with occasional games on other weekdays for logistical reasons.