Finally, ice hockey again!

For this reason, the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation and the ice hockey clubs are pleased that the new season was able to get under way again at the end of September and the beginning of October. As is well known, the previous season had to be ended prematurely in many countries, not just in Austria.

Ice hockey fans in Austria can certainly look forward to an exciting season in the country's top ice hockey league. For this reason, anticipation for the new season in Austria is particularly high this time around.

New professional league celebrates its debut

Austrian ice hockey is breaking new ground this year under extremely difficult external conditions. This is primarily due to the fact that Austria continues to be part of a cross-border ice hockey league. A total of eleven ice hockey clubs are set to compete in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League this time. In addition to the eight teams from Austria, three further clubs from other countries will also be taking part. Naturally, in the current climate, this could also cause problems due to the cross-border fixtures.

In principle, it should not only be very appealing for spectators that Hydro Fehervar AV19, the iClinic Bratislava Capitals and HCB Südtirol Alperia – three clubs from different countries – are all part of the ICE Hockey League. Fans can therefore look forward to fixtures against these teams from Hungary, Slovakia and Italy.

However, this is far from the only new development surrounding the Austrian ice hockey league. The cross-border league is also entering the new season with a new main sponsor and a new television partner. From the clubs' perspective, it is certainly also positive that, according to the current situation, up to 1.500 spectators are once again permitted in the ice arenas for games. However, the ice hockey clubs involved naturally hope that more spectators will be permitted again in the coming months if possible.

Entering the new season with a mixture of joy and fear

Everyone involved is hugely excited about the resumption of play. After all, it has now been several months since games could be played in Austria's top division.

On the other hand, the clubs continue to have major concerns due to lost revenue. After all, many experts on Austrian ice hockey assume that the clubs will continue to face revenue losses of 15 to, in the worst case, even 30 per cent, including as a result of spectator restrictions.

There are strict rules and a well-conceived hygiene concept in the ice arenas. However, this also means that, for example, there are now only numbered seats in the ice hockey venues.

The planned course of the ICE Hockey League season

There are to be 75 matchdays in the ICE Hockey League this season. For this reason, the participating teams can expect a great many games. Nevertheless, those responsible have already built some buffers into the schedule so that they could respond accordingly to any potential game cancellations or postponements.

In the regular season a total of 44 matchdays are to be completed. Should problems arise during this period, games from the intermediate round could also be cancelled if necessary, or the subsequent rounds could be shortened. However, the clubs hope that, ideally, the season can be completed as planned.

The favourites to win the title

From a sporting perspective, Red Bull Salzburg, HCB Südtirol and EC-KAC from Klagenfurt are certainly among the leading favourites to win the title. In addition, some experts also see good chances for the spusu Vienna Capitals this season.

There are a whole range of bookmakers offering their customers a great deal when it comes to betting on ICE Hockey League games and Austrian ice hockey. An overview of suitable bookmakers can be found at sportwettenanbieter.de. This website regularly puts new sports betting providers through their paces in the most important categories.

With the right instinct and a little luck, a placed bet can bring in a handsome profit. Aside from that, once a prediction has been made, there is an additional reason to follow the games this season with excitement.