“Compar­ison clash” between Tyrol and Vorarl­berg in the West – hot double-header in the East Divi­sion

EHC Lustenau vs. HC Kufstein
Sat., 20 December 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau

For the third time this season, Division West leaders EHC Lustenau and HC Kufstein, for the first time at Lustenau's Rheinhalle. The Lions secured a place in the playoffs last weekend as the first team in the Ö Eishockey Liga and, with twelve wins from twelve games, are favourites against the Dragons as well.

The two previous meetings were both won by the Vorarlberg side at the Kufstein Arena, 5:3 in mid-October and 6:3 at the end of November, with both games close and hard-fought. Following the second defeat against Lustenau, the Tyroleans have recently celebrated three successive wins – making a statement with a 7:4 victory over Hohenems on Sunday – and are currently clearly the third-strongest force in the West behind Lustenau and the Steinböcke.

Dániel Fekete, Head Coach of EHC Lustenau, is expecting a strong Kufstein team: “Although we won the first two games against Kufstein, the scores were clearer than the course of the games themselves. In the last meeting, we needed a strong final period, in which we were ultimately able to decide the game in our favour. Kufstein’s win against Hohenems also shows that we would be well advised not to underestimate them. To succeed, we need to deliver a focused performance for the full 60 minutes!”

Kufstein Head Coach Andreas Luchner was naturally pleased with the performance against Hohenems and knows that this is how any opponent – including Lustenau – can be challenged: “We did many things very well in the home game against Hohenems and were rewarded for it. We will try to bring exactly those things onto the ice against Lustenau too. Our system is increasingly proving successful even against strong opponents, so we need to keep at it. If we play just as structurally on Saturday and every individual player fulfils his tasks, then we will certainly have a chance against the league leaders too.”

SC Samina Hohenems vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins
Sat., 20 December 2025, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

On Saturday in the Division West, SC Samina Hohenems host the WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins in a heated clash between fellow open-air sides. It is the third time the two clubs have met this season. The first game in mid-October was a close affair for a long time, with the Steinböcke eventually edging it 5:4. The Vorarlberg side had the away game at the Alpenstadion under control from the outset at the end of November, winning 6:2.

Hohenems have recently suffered two consecutive defeats, in the derby against EHC Lustenau and against HC Kufstein, and now sit seven points behind the Lions. Following last Saturday’s away win in Kundl, the Wattens Penguins recorded a 6:4 home victory over Dornbirn and are suddenly right back in the race for a play-off place.

Hohenems Head Coach Martin Mallinger is demanding a response from his players against the Penguins: “After the last two lost games against Lustenau and Kufstein, a clear response is required against the Wattens Penguins. We need even more commitment, more consistency and, above all, a united team performance throughout the game!”

Wattens head coach Fabian Hechenberger knows Hohenems’ strengths and knows how his side can take points at the Herrenried: "The last two wins were enormously important! They were strong team performances; through hard work, we regained our confidence and closed the gap to the playoff places again. Hohenems are an incredibly compact and dangerous team, and we must allow ourselves virtually no mistakes. We already put in a very good performance in Hohenems and know that we can win there too. The key will be to perform with maximum concentration and as a united unit again for the full 60 minutes!"

EHC Kundl vs. Dornbirner EC Bulldogs
Sat., 20 December 2025, 17:30, Eisarena Kundl

Also for the third time this season, on Saturday in the Division West, EHC Kundl and the Dornbirner EC Bulldogs will cross sticks. The Tyroleans won the first meeting in mid-October 4:2, while at the end of November, after two hard-fought periods and with Dornbirn leading, a clear 10:5 away win followed at the Messestadion.

Since that victory, Kundl have suffered three consecutive defeats – although the narrow 4:5 loss in Lustenau last Saturday, with just ten skaters, was a strong display of determination – and Wattens are suddenly breathing down their necks in the battle for the final playoff place.

Their lead over the Penguins in the standings is now just three points. With currently three points from one win and eleven defeats, the Bulldogs have only a slim chance of qualifying for the playoffs, but they can still play a decisive role at any time by taking important points from other clubs.

Kundl chairman Stefan Rainer was impressed by his team’s performance in Lustenau, but now points are needed against the Bulldogs: "Last weekend, despite having a very thin squad, we held our own against the league leaders until the closing stages and only lost the points in the final seconds. A look at the standings makes it clear that competing well in this league is not enough; the points are what matter. Dornbirn now come to us, a team that may currently be bottom of the table but have been playing very structured and fast ice hockey for weeks and must not be underestimated under any circumstances!"

Dornbirn chairman Christof Schwendinger hopes his team can finally bring greater consistency to the ice over 60 minutes: "In recent weeks, our game has repeatedly shown flashes of brilliance and moments of weakness; after very good spells, mistakes often crept in again. In Wattens, we lost the entire game in 14 seconds, and in the last meeting with Kundl, we lost the final period and therefore the game despite a two-goal lead. We have to work even harder and find a way to minimise our own mistakes, then luck will be on our side again too!"

Division East:

HDK Maribor vs. KSV Kängurus
Sat., 20 December 2025, 18:30, Ledna dvorana Maribor

The HDK Maribor host the KSV Kängurus on Saturday in the first part of their Division East weekend double-header. It is the Füchse’s third head-to-head meeting with the Kängurus this season: the previous two games were fiercely contested, with the Mürztal side prevailing by just one goal on each occasion. In mid-October, Kapfenberg won 3:2 on home ice, while in November the Kängurus prevailed 5:4 away from home.

The Slovenians are currently bottom of the table, seven points behind WEV, and the battle to qualify for the playoffs will be difficult, especially as the Viennese side have also played two fewer games. Kapfenberg were forced to watch from the sidelines for three weeks due to a technical fault at the Stadthalle Kapfenberg.

Last Saturday, KSV returned to league action with an impressive 11:2 win at ATSE Graz, who had to do without their two regular goaltenders Florian Zeugswetter and Gernot Fally.

Jure Verlič, Head Coach of HDK Maribor, is hoping for points against Kapfenberg and ATSE: "We are dealing with a number of injuries and therefore have to do without several players. Nevertheless, we are taking it one game at a time. First, we are focusing on the home game against KSV and want to pick up points. Then we play Graz on Sunday. I think it will be demanding for some players to play two games in two days, but we have delivered good performances against these teams and are therefore going into the weekend motivated to pick up points!"

Kapfenberg player-coach Kristof Reinthaler is pleased with his team's character and knows that disciplined hockey will once again be required against the Foxes: "This win was, of course, extremely important for us after such a long break. We set out to get back into the game as well as possible and then regain our overall game rhythm. It is very unusual not to have a game for such a long period during the season; training sessions can hardly simulate that, especially when there are fewer of them. We have to make sure we deliver our performance again at the weekend, perhaps get off to another flying start and play our game from the very first second. It was, of course, also very important in the last game that we converted our chances for once. Naturally, a lot went our way, and we must honestly admit that it was probably not ATSE's best game. So we must not think it will be easy. Victories of this kind, or victories in general in our division, can only be achieved by working consistently, and doing so for 60 minutes. Maribor are a dangerous team with very quick players, so we simply have to play compactly, score goals up front and not overcomplicate things at the back, instead moving the puck forward!"

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. ATSE Graz
Sat, 20 December 2025, 19:00, WEV Arena Heumarkt

Both Wiener Eislauf-Verein and ATSE Graz begin their Division East weekend double-header on Saturday, with Vienna completing theirs away to league leaders Sharks Gmunden on Sunday, while Graz face Maribor. This traditional Austrian rivalry will be played for the third time this season. ATSE prevailed 3:1 at the Liebenau Bunker in mid-October, while the Eggenberg side celebrated a 3:2 shootout win at Heumarkt in November.

Two factors add further excitement to this encounter. Firstly, third place in the table is at stake in the head-to-head clash, while both clubs are also fighting for important points in the race for a play-off spot. However, both WEV, with ten points, and ATSE Graz, with eleven, currently hold significantly better cards than Maribor, who sit bottom of the table on three points.

Markus Losch, Head Coach of ATSE Graz, is expecting another close contest in Vienna: "After the defeat against KSV, we are determined to pick up points again at the weekend! The recent games against WEV have been very close, and I expect an exciting game again on Saturday. If we manage to take our chances, we can secure a win!"

WEV Head Coach Philipp Ullrich is hoping to take something tangible from both games at the weekend in the form of points: "We had another weekend off last weekend, but were able to maintain the quality of our training sessions and are looking forward to the double-header weekend. We have already lost to ATSE twice this year and definitely want to improve that record on Saturday. If we perform as we have in the past two games, we have a chance of taking something from both Graz and Gmunden."

ATSE Graz vs. HDK Maribor
Sun, 21 December 2025, 17:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A)

On Sunday, ATSE Graz welcome HDK Maribor, who play Kapfenberg beforehand, to the Styrian derby between partner cities in Division East. Graz and the Foxes have already crossed sticks twice this season; the first meeting in the Slovenian city on the Drava at the end of October was a thriller, which Maribor won 2:1. Tempers flared at the end of the game, with a total of 191 penalty minutes handed out.

The second match in Liebenau at the end of November was also a hard-fought affair at times, with Eggenberg eventually edging it 3:1. The third meeting is a genuine six-pointer. A win would see ATSE take another major step towards the play-offs. Three points are a must for Hokejsko Drsalni Klub if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.

ATSE head coach Markus Losch warns his team not to underestimate the Foxes, but is also demanding three points: "We play Maribor at home on Sunday. This team has only lost narrowly in every game, so they should not be underestimated. After the last game, we know we can beat them. It will certainly be another tough match, but we will get the three points!"

Jure Verlič, head coach of HDK Maribor, is hoping for points against Kapfenberg and ATSE: "We are dealing with several injuries and therefore have to do without some players. Nevertheless, we take it one game at a time. First, we are focusing on the home game against KSV and want to get points. Then we play Graz on Sunday. I think it will be demanding for some players to play two games in two days, but we have delivered good performances against these teams and are therefore going into the weekend motivated to get points!"

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein
Sun, 21 December 2025, 18:30, muki Arena Gmunden

League leaders UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden face Wiener Eislauf-Verein on Sunday in the Division Ost in the last Ö Eishockey Liga game before Christmas. The reigning champions from Traunsee are currently the benchmark in the East in every respect. The Sharks' nine wins from nine games so far mean WEV will also face a difficult task in their bid to take points from the muki Arena.

However, the two previous meetings this season give the Viennese justified hopes of taking points away from Gmunden. The Upper Austrians narrowly won 2:1 in Vienna at the end of October. The return fixture in Gmunden was also very exciting, with an empty-net goal by Ian Motil only sealing the Sharks' 3:1 win. For the Viennese, the weekend double-header could be decisive, with important points in the battle to reach the play-offs at stake.

Sharks Gmunden head coach Gregor Baumgartner, praises the upcoming opponents and wants to stick to his winning formula: "WEV are a good, young and hungry team against whom you cannot let up for a minute. We want to execute our game consistently and at pace again!"

WEV head coach Philipp Ullrich is hoping to take something tangible in the form of points from the weekend double-header against ATSE Graz and Sharks Gmunden: "We had another weekend off last weekend, but we were able to maintain the quality of our training sessions and are looking forward to the double-header weekend. We have already lost twice to ATSE this year, and we definitely want to improve that record on Saturday. If we perform as we have in the past two games, we have a chance of taking something from both Graz and Gmunden."

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division West:

EHC Lustenau vs. HC Kufstein
Sat, 20 December 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau - >> to the livestream

SC Samina Hohenems vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins
Sat, 20 December 2025, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems - >> to the livestream

EHC Kundl vs. Dornbirner EC Bulldogs
Sat, 20 December 2025, 17:30, Eisarena Kundl - >> to the livestream

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division EAST:

HDK Maribor vs. KSV Kängurus
Sat, 20 December 2025, 18:30, Ledna dvorana Maribor - >> to the livestream

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. ATSE Graz
Sat, 20 December 2025, 19:00, WEV Arena Heumarkt - >> to the livestream

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden have a bye.

ATSE Graz vs. HDK Maribor
Sun, 21 December 2025, 17:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A) - >> to the livestream

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein
Sun, 21 December 2025, 18:30, muki Arena Gmunden - >> to the livestream

KSV Kängurus have a bye.

Ö Eishockey Liga format 2025/2026

The Ö Eishockey Liga began the new season with the first matchday on 4 October 2025. In its fifth year, the format will undergo a change in Phase 1 across the two divisions: West with six teams and East with five teams. In Division East, the upcoming season will feature two-and-a-half home-and-away rounds, resulting in 20 games per team. In Division West, as in the previous season, two home-and-away rounds will be played, also resulting in 20 games per team.

Following Phase 1, an interregional play-off will again take place, beginning with the quarter-finals on 07 February 2026. In the upcoming season, a play-off pick following the regular season will again provide additional excitement. The highest-ranked team in each of Division West and Division East may choose their quarter-final opponent from the team ranked third or fourth in the other division. The play-off match-ups, from the quarter-finals through the semi-finals to the final, will each be decided in a best-of-three series (H/A/H) from the upcoming season onwards.

All Ö Eishockey Liga standings, statistics and fixtures in the Gamecenter

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