Derby thriller: Red Bull Hockey Juniors and Zeller Eisbären battle for Austrian cham­pi­onship in the AHL

The Red Bull Hockey Juniors and EK Die Zeller Eisbären qualified for the final in the current season after six games each – the matches from the completed first and second rounds (= the respective 1st home and 1st away game) of the Alps Hockey League regular season between the Austrian clubs were used and assessed.

The Hockey Juniors go into the title showdown as league leaders with 15 points, while Zell am See finished second on twelve points, ahead of EC Bregenzerwald (6 points) and Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel (3 points). The final will be decided in Champions Hockey League format: the team leading on aggregate after Saturday's return leg will be crowned champions. The Red Bull Hockey Juniors will host the decisive second game at the Eisarena Salzburg. Before that, both teams will be looking to secure a good starting position at the KE KELIT Arena in Zell am See on Thursday.

In recent years, the clash between the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and the Eisbären from Zell am See has developed into a heated Salzburg derby. As the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 18,8 years, the Juniors take on the experienced Eisbären, who are the league's “oldest” team with an average age of 25,3 years.

The matchup is given extra spice by the fact that several former Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy players – Alois Schultes (goalkeeper), Maximilian Egger, Devin Steffler, Sebastian Zauner (defencemen), as well as Alexander Lahoda and Aljaž Predan (forwards) – play in Zell am See and will now face the up-and-coming Hockey Juniors players.

The Red Bull Hockey Juniors and EK Die Zeller Eisbären already faced each other in the Austrian Championship final in the Alps Hockey League in 2023 and 2024. Both title-deciding derby finals were genuine thrillers. In February 2023, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors won the first leg away from home 3:0. In the return leg, the Zeller Eisbären levelled the tie after a sensational 3:0 final period – the third goal came with just 33 seconds remaining, with an extra skater on the ice – after a total of 120 minutes, before prevailing in overtime by an aggregate score of 4:3 to become Austrian champions in the Alps Hockey League.

A year later, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors hit back and dethroned the defending champions from Zell am See. Although the Bulls lost the final return leg against defending champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären 1:2, their 3:1 home victory in the first leg secured the Austrian Championship title in the Alps Hockey League by an aggregate score of 4:3. Last year, the title went to Adler Kitzbühel, who overcame the Zeller Eisbären: following a 3:1 result in the first leg against EK Zeller Eisbären, the Tyroleans won the final return leg 2:0 and were crowned champions with an aggregate score of 5:1.

Marcel Rodman, Head Coach of the Zeller Eisbären, rates the young Ice Bulls highly, but knows how his side can beat them: "It will be an exciting week! We have played Salzburg three times; in the first game, we had no chance and were really outskated. We won the second and third meetings at home. I think we played very well in both games, and Salzburg were strong too. That is what I expect in the final as well: they are extremely strong skaters, have great offensive quality and are very dangerous. It is important for us to skate at least as well and as much as they do. We have to stick to the game plan. I believe we will have our chances, but nothing will be handed to us; we have to earn it. They are a strong opponent, I am looking forward to the final and I believe in my boys!"

Mika Haim, goalie for the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, is expecting a close final: "We are expecting two tough games. We have to be fully ready for the first away game in Zell am See and need a good start. Zell always have great support from their fans, but that makes us look forward even more to our own fans and we hope to have home-ice advantage in the second game!"

Austrian Championship Final, Alps Hockey League 2025/2026

Final – first leg:

EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Thu, 12 February 2026, 19:30, KE KELIT Arena

Final – return leg:

Red Bull Hockey Juniors vs. EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Sat, 14 February 2026, 19:15, Eisarena Salzburg

Format:

The two highest-ranked Austrian teams after the regular season of the Austrian Championship in the Alps Hockey League, for which the games from the completed first and second half of the season (= the respective 1st home game and 1st away game) were used and counted, will contest the final. The Champions Hockey League format will be used on 12 and 14 February, with the higher-ranked club starting away from home. The aggregate score (points and goals) from the two games played will be used. Overtime and a penalty shoot-out may only take place in the second leg if the aggregate score is tied. In this case, there will be a 10-minute sudden-death overtime played three-on-three. Should the overtime end goalless, a shoot-out with five shooters per team will follow.

For the full schedule of the Alps Hockey League in the Gamecenter

All information on the Alps Hockey League on the official website