HC Kufstein chal­lenge SC Hohenems – Kapfen­berg "come­back" in the Styrian derby at ATSE Graz

EHC Lustenau vs. EHC Kundl
Sat., 13 December 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau

League leaders EHC Lustenau face EHC Kundl in the West Division on Saturday. It is already the third head-to-head meeting of the season and the second at Lustenau's Rheinhalle. The Lions won the first game at home in early October 3:1, before the side from Vorarlberg followed that up with a convincing 5:1 win away in Kundl.

Lustenau are currently the benchmark in the West, with Head Coach Dániel Fekete's team most recently claiming a 2:0 derby win in Hohenems to extend their lead at the top of the table to four points. Kundl suffered a surprise 4:7 home defeat to Wattens on the public holiday, but currently occupy a playoff place and hold a six-point lead over the Penguins.

Dániel Fekete, Head Coach of EHC Lustenau, wants his team to maintain its consistently strong balance between attack and defence: "As against Hohenems and Dornbirn, we want to stay focused and impose our game on the opposition. We will create chances in attack and will try to make the most of them. I am currently very satisfied with our defensive work. We have conceded just one goal in the last two games, which speaks to a very strong defensive performance!"

Kundl chairman Stefan Rainer is demanding that his team return to work with focus after the two defeats over the long weekend, while also knowing that the task in Lustenau will be very difficult: "Last weekend, we were unable to build on the strong performances of the previous weeks. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves, work on the details and pull even closer together as a team. We have to work hard every shift, embrace every battle and fight our way back into our rhythm, even though that will be anything but easy away in Lustenau!"

WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins vs. Dornbirner EC Bulldogs
Sat., 13 December 2025, 19:30, Alpenstadion Wattens

The WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins face the Dornbirner EC Bulldogs for the third time in the West Division on Saturday. The side from Vorarlberg won 4:3 in the season opener in early October, which remains their only victory of the season, followed by ten consecutive defeats. The Wattens Penguins, meanwhile, claimed their first win in their first home game at the Alpenstadion against Dornbirn in November.

Most recently, Head Coach Fabian Hechenberger's team achieved a breakthrough with a surprising but very strong 7:4 away win against Kundl. The Tyroleans are fifth in the table, six points behind Kundl, but have found fresh hope in the race for a playoff place.

Wattens Head Coach Fabian Hechenberger and his team want to back up their win in Kundl against the Bulldogs: "The win in Kundl was extremely important for us and gives us confidence. The team showed tremendous character, never lost its composure and worked together as a unit until the end. Now, against Dornbirn, the task is to bring exactly that performance and energy onto the ice consistently for 60 minutes. We are determined to take three points and further close the gap to the playoff places!"

Dornbirn chairman Christof Schwendinger wants his team to push the Penguins all the way: "We have currently been hit by a wave of flu and it will not be easy for us in Wattens. We know how strong Wattens are at home, but it is a six-pointer that both teams want to win. Nevertheless, we want to put in the best possible performance and give the Tyroleans no time to play their game. After the tough matches against Hohenems and Lustenau, we were able to compete again against Kufstein. We want to do the same away from home this weekend. Our game is taking shape and the roles within the team are clearly defined. As long as we do not make any mistakes, we will certainly be well in the game in Wattens!"

HC Kufstein vs. SC Samina Hohenems
Sun, 14 December 2025, 17:30, Eisarena Kufstein

To round off the matchday, HC Kufstein host SC Samina Hohenems at the Eisarena Kufstein on Sunday for the third time overall this season. In the season opener at the beginning of October, the Steinböcke celebrated a narrow 3:2 away win in the fortress town.

The two clubs also gave nothing away in the Herrenried Stadium at the beginning of November, with the Schlittschuhclub eventually winning 4:2; the game was only decided by Leon Schmeiser's empty-net goal 35 seconds before the end. After an inconsistent start to the season, the Dragons have established themselves as the third force in the West behind the two dominant teams, Lustenau and Hohenems, over the course of the regular season so far.

Kufstein trail their Sunday opponents by ten points and are six points ahead of district rivals Kundl. Hohenems recently had to let local rivals Lustenau pull four points clear in the standings following the 0:2 derby defeat.

Kufstein head coach Andreas Luchner is pleased with his team's development and is embracing the Hohenems challenge: "The last few games have shown that we are on the right track. The team has come together on the ice, the chemistry is right and all the players know how to implement the system. We will intensify this process further in training this week. The home game against Hohenems will certainly be a real test and a challenge for us, but I am confident that we can pick up points. Especially as a number of injured and ill players will also return to the line-up!"

Division East:

ATSE Graz vs. KSV Kängurus
Sat, 13 December 2025, 18:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A)

The Division East will host the Styrian derby between ATSE Graz and KSV Kängurus for the fourth time this season on Saturday, with the clash taking place for the second time in Graz's bunker in Liebenau. At their very first meeting at the end of September, Graz caused an upset in Kapfenberg with a 2:1 overtime win.

In the second match at the beginning of November, the Kängurus were already 4:0 ahead before the Eggenberg side closed the gap to 2:4. In the end, the Mürztal side won 5:2. In their most recent meeting in mid-November, Kapfenberg were defensively strong in their narrow 2:0 win, while KSV goaltender Felix Nußbacher recorded a shutout.

ATSE had to accept a 0:4 defeat on the public holiday after two wins against reigning champions Sharks Gmunden, but are currently on course for the play-offs in third place, eight points ahead of Maribor. In recent weeks, Kapfenberg's main concerns have been logistical, with four home games having to be cancelled or postponed due to a technical fault in the cooling system at the Kapfenberg Stadthalle.

The team also had to train away from home. The Kängurus played their last match in Maribor on 22 November, where Kris Reinthaler's player-coached team secured a narrow 5:4 win.

Markus Losch, Head Coach of ATSE Graz, wants his team to force the Kapfenberg side into mistakes: "After the most recent defeat against the Kangaroos, we want to build on the first game again. We have to try to keep the tempo high in order to force the KSV players into mistakes. If we can also get the puck into the net, we can secure a win. It will certainly be another interesting contest in which both teams can come off the ice as winners!"

Kapfenberg player-coach Kris Reinthaler was finally able to train with his team at their own rink again and warns of the Graz side: "It was very pleasant to be back in our own dressing room and at our own rink. I think the team really enjoyed it, and you could also sense that normality is returning for us. The break, or rather the period in which we had to train away from home, has not harmed the team as such. Of course, we completed fewer training sessions, but we may even have grown closer together as a team because we got through it together. This week, we will of course make sure we are tactically prepared so that we are perfectly set up for the game. ATSE are a dangerous team and always produce very close results. If we want to remain among the frontrunners, we have to make sure we do not allow ourselves any more slip-ups!"

HDK Maribor vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden
Sat., 13 December 2025, 18:30, Ledna dvorana Maribor

The HDK Maribor host defending champions UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden at the Ledna dvorana Maribor in the Division East on Saturday. The current bottom side from Slovenia and the commanding league leaders from Gmunden will face each other for the third time overall.

On All Saints' Day, the Sharks from Traunsee celebrated a clear 6:1 home win. In the Drava city, a much more closely contested game followed, which the Upper Austrians narrowly won 4:3 thanks to a strong middle period. The Foxes currently have three points and have suffered six consecutive defeats since their only win against ATSE Graz at the end of October.

They are seven points behind the final play-off spot, currently occupied by WEV. The situation is very different for the Sharks. Having started the season with the "Mission to defend the title", Gmunden have been commanding so far, with eight wins from eight games, befitting the reigning champions.

Maribor Head Coach Jure Verlič and his team are finally looking to win again: "After a run of defeats, we are longing for our first win. In every game, we play well for long stretches, but we repeatedly have weak spells in which we give the opponent the chance to beat us. We simply have to play better if we want to win!"

Sharks Head Coach Gregor Baumgartner knows what awaits his team: "My boys are looking forward to an intense contest. Maribor are a good team and must not be underestimated under any circumstances!"

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division West:

EHC Lustenau vs. EHC Kundl
Sat., 13 December 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle Lustenau - >> to the livestream

WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins vs. Dornbirner EC Bulldogs
Sat., 13 December 2025, 19:30, Alpenstadion Wattens - >> to the livestream

HC Kufstein vs. SC Samina Hohenems
Sun, 14 December 2025, 17:30, Eisarena Kufstein - >> watch the livestream

Ö Eishockey Liga - EAST Division:

ATSE Graz vs. KSV Kängurus
Sat, 13 December 2025, 18:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion (Hall A) - >> watch the livestream

HDK Maribor vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden
Sat, 13 December 2025, 18:30, Ledna dvorana Maribor - >> watch the livestream

Wiener Eislauf-Verein have a bye.

Ö Eishockey Liga format 2025/2026

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

After Phase 1, an inter-regional play-off will once again take place, starting with the quarter-finals on 07 February 2026. The play-off pick after the regular season will also provide added excitement in the coming campaign. The highest-placed team in each of the West and East Divisions may select its quarter-final opponent from the third- or fourth-placed teams in the other division. From the quarter-finals through the semi-finals to the final, the play-off match-ups will be decided in best-of-three series (H/A/H) from the coming season onwards.

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

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