Fiery district derbies in Kundl and Dorn­birn – ATSE Graz take on reigning cham­pions Sharks Gmunden

EHC Kundl vs. HC Kufstein
Sat., 11 October 2025, 17:00, Eisarena Kundl

On the second matchday, EHC Kundl in the West Division host their long-standing local rivals HC Kufstein at Eisarena Kundl on Saturday. The high-stakes district derby has been an absolute highlight fixture since the Ö Eishockey Liga was founded. From Saturday, Kundl will be celebrating Oktoberfest in the marquee in the Eisarena car park, providing the perfect setting for the first derby of the season against the Dragons.

Both teams began last weekend with narrow defeats: EHC Kundl put up a strong fight against Lustenau but ultimately had to accept a close 1:3 defeat, while the fortress town side also narrowly lost their home opener against Hohenems, 2:3. This sets up an exciting scenario in which one of the two teams will celebrate their first win of the season in the derby of all games.

Kundl chairman Stefan Rainer can hardly wait for the home opener against their local rivals and promises a hard-fought battle: "Finally, we are back at Kundl Ice Arena. And to start with, our eternal derby opponents Kufstein are coming to town – it could not be better. The arena will be on fire! After a strong performance in Lustenau, where we only just came up short, we saw that we can compete and even dictate the pace at times. The short preparation period has admittedly cost us some rhythm and a little stamina, and we also have two injured players and one suspension, but we are fired up for this derby. Kufstein are under pressure after their opening defeat against the finalists, and we will make life difficult for them until the final second. Our aim is simple: get the first three points, then the two-day Oktoberfest can begin!"

Andreas Luchner, Head Coach of HC Kufstein, is approaching the first derby of the season with confidence: "We analysed the narrow defeat against Hohenems and know what we need to do better away in Kundl. We are working on those things this week. And on Saturday, we will take the three points in the local derby – I am convinced of it!"

EHC Lustenau vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins
Sat., 11 October 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau

Playing their second consecutive home game are EHC Lustenau against the WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins. The Lions from Vorarlberg showed against Kundl that earning points on the road at the Reinhalle will once again not be an easy task for visiting teams during the regular season. Lustenau were not quite on target in attack, while the Tyroleans were also solid defensively as a unit alongside netminder Jakub Kostelny, but overall the Vorarlberg side once again looked strong and clinical.

Lustenau Head Coach Dániel Fekete is warning his team and hoping for better finishing: "The Penguins from Wattens will try everything to make up for their first-round defeat and earn their first points of the season. We will be on our guard and try to impose our game on them from the outset. It will be important to convert the chances that come our way into goals in order to establish a clear lead quickly."

The Wattens Penguins produced an entertaining game against the Bulldogs on Sunday and, after taking the lead, were 1:2 behind in Dornbirn by the midway point. The team coached by Head Coach Fabian Hechenberger equalised twice in succession, but conceded the decisive goal for 3:4 eight seconds from the end.

Wattens head coach Fabian Hechenberger sees his team as underdogs but hopes for their first points: "We travel to Vorarlberg as underdogs, with nothing to lose. They bring an incredible amount of experience and game intelligence, which makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the league. The way we played against Dornbirn gives us plenty of confidence for the game against Lustenau. The game starts at 0:0 – we will do everything we can to head home with our first points in the bag."

Dornbirner EC Bulldogs vs. SC Samina Hohenems
Sat., 11 October 2025, 19:30, Messestadion Dornbirn

The first Vorarlberg derby of the new Division West season takes place at Messestadion Dornbirn on Saturday, when the Dornbirner EC Bulldogs face SC Samina Hohenems. As was the case when Kundl faced Kufstein, this is a district derby that promises to be a real blockbuster following both teams' opening wins. The Bulldogs narrowly prevailed 4:3 against Wattens on Sunday, while the Steinböcke celebrated a hard-fought 3:2 win away to Kufstein.

Last year, the two local rivals did not meet for the first time until early December, when the Bulldogs won a thriller thanks to a Matheo Sottopietra goal 13 seconds before the end of overtime. At least the Steinböcke will have no excuse this weekend: "tired legs from the bus journey" – the two opponents' ice arenas are only seven kilometres apart by road.

Dornbirn chairman Christof Schwendinger is looking forward to the derby against Hohenems after the opening win: "We have made a very good start to the season and did what we are capable of. It is clear that we still need to improve quite a few things in order to become more consistently successful in the league. The season could not have got off to a better start for us than with a win. The next tough challenge awaits us on Saturday, with the runners-up Steinböcke coming to Dornbirn. The Steinböcke from Hohenems are clearly favourites, but we will take to the ice at home with our heads held high and full of confidence!"

Martin Mallinger, head coach of SC Hohenems, is demanding the same attitude as in the opening game in Kufstein for the first derby: "After the pre-season game two weeks ago, we know exactly what awaits us in Dornbirn. The key will be to go into the game with the same attitude and intensity as we did most recently against Kufstein, and to implement our game plan consistently!"

Ö Eishockey Liga – Division East:

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. KSV Kängurus
Sat., 11 October 2025, 18:30, Steffl Arena Halle 3

The Wiener Eislauf-Verein welcome the KSV Kängurus for their home opener in Division East at Steffl Arena Halle 3 on Saturday. The Vienna side suffered a narrow 2:3 defeat on the ice away to HDK Maribor last weekend. However, the match was awarded 5:0 to WEV by forfeit after Maribor fielded a suspended player without authorisation.

WEV head coach Philipp Ullrich was not satisfied with the sporting performance in Slovenia and is demanding an improvement against the Kängurus: "Unfortunately, our first game in Maribor was not at all what we had set out to do. We were not present in the battles and performed very poorly both defensively and with the puck. If we think we can play like that against anyone in our league, we will have no chance. I know my boys can do better, and they have to prove it on Saturday against Kapfenberg!"

Kapfenberg have not enjoyed an ideal start to the season. The Mürztal side suffered a 1:2 overtime defeat at home to ATSE Graz in their rescheduled match at the end of September. This was followed by a 0:3 defeat against reigning champions Sharks Gmunden last Saturday. The result does not reflect how closely contested the game was, as the Styrians were unable to capitalise on their numerous chances, while Upper Austria’s decisive second goal came late on, with the third an empty-netter for good measure.

Kapfenberg player-coach Kristof Reinthaler explains the positive development of the Ö Eishockey Liga and is confident that his team will soon hit their stride: "By now, we know all the teams, at least in our division, very well. WEV have achieved good results in recent years through their fighting spirit. We simply have to make sure we rediscover our strengths, regardless of which team from our division we are playing now. I think the standard in our East Division has increased considerably; I believe the teams have moved closer together. Faster hockey is being played, as is more physically intense hockey. We simply have to make sure we regain our scoring efficiency now. The way things are going at the moment, with one goal from two games and no power-play goals, has to change drastically. We need to work on that very quickly. It will probably come down to individual leaders

ATSE Graz vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden
Sat., 11 October 2025, 19:00, Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A)

The ATSE Graz face defending champions UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden at home in a marquee East Division clash at Merkur Eisstadion Hall A on Saturday. It is a marquee clash because the Styrians began the new campaign with a surprise 2:1 overtime win away to Kapfenberg, immediately making a statement. Head coach Markus Losch’s team had last weekend off, making Graz all the more eager for their first home game in the Bunker.

ATSE head coach Markus Losch wants to confirm the positive start to the league campaign at home: "After the successful opening game against Kapfenberger SV, the champions from Gmunden are now coming to Graz. We will also try to trouble the favourites in this game. Team spirit and the mood within the team are naturally high after the win against the Kängurus. However, the team must now focus and carry out its tasks. Gmunden’s squad is of course very strong, but we will try to stick to our game plan. Perhaps, with a little luck and the support of the spectators, another upset is possible!"

The Traunsee Sharks started the new season in fitting fashion. The reigning Ö Eishockey Liga champions once again demonstrated their home strength against Kapfenberg, securing a 3:0 win late on in a hard-fought duel with the Mürztal side.

Gregor Baumgartner, head coach of Sharks Gmunden, wants to see improved finishing in Graz: "After the good start to the season at home against Kapfenberg, we also need to deliver a consistent performance in the upcoming game in Graz. There are still several aspects of our game where we need to improve. We were especially too careless with our chances in attack!"

Ö Eishockey Liga – West Division:

EHC Kundl vs. HC Kufstein
Sat., 11 October 2025, 17:00, Eisarena Kundl – >> to the livestream

EHC Lustenau vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins
Sat., 11 October 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau – >> to the livestream

Dornbirner EC Bulldogs vs. SC Samina Hohenems
Sat., 11 October 2025, 19:30, Messestadion Dornbirn – >> to the livestream

Ö Eishockey Liga – Eastern Division:

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. KSV Kängurus
Saturday, 11 October 2025, 18:30, Steffl Arena Hall 3 – >> to the livestream

ATSE Graz vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden
Saturday, 11 October 2025, 19:00, Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A) – >> to the livestream

HDK Maribor have a bye.

Ö Eishockey Liga format 2025/2026

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

After Phase 1, there will once again be an inter-regional play-off, starting with the quarter-finals on 07 February 2026. The play-off pick after the regular season will also provide additional excitement in the coming campaign. The highest-ranked team in each of the Western and Eastern Divisions may select their quarter-final opponent from the third- or fourth-placed team in the other division. From the quarter-finals through the semi-finals to the final, the play-off ties will each be decided in a best-of-three series (H/A/H) from next season onwards.

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

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