Quarter-final opener: Zeller Eisbären over­come Bregen­z­er­wald – Kitzbühel lose to Wipptal

Master Round champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären began their quarter-final campaign with a 3:1 home win against EC Bregenzerwald. Dele Steffler put the home side ahead in the 18th minute, and Bernhard Fechtig made it 2:0 just under a minute later. The 2.000 fans at the KE KELIT Arena had more to cheer about in the second period when Nick Huard scored for 3:0 in the 28th minute, giving his side an early decisive advantage. Shortly before the end of the middle period, Ievgen Fadieiev scored the visitors' first goal. However, there were no further goals, allowing Zell am See to celebrate a perfect start to the playoffs.

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan secured the only away win in the quarter-final openers at Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. In the highest-scoring game of the evening, the South Tyroleans prevailed 5:4. The visitors led from the outset, with Kitzbühel only able to level the score at 1:1. After the opening 20 minutes, the Broncos led 1:0, and after the second period they already held a 4:2 lead. Kitzbühel did pull back to 4:5, but the goal that narrowed the gap came only 59 seconds before the end of the game – too late to force overtime. Fabian Hackhofer was the game's top scorer with one goal and three assists.

Defending champions Rittner Buam SkyAlps opened with a 3:0 win against HC Meran/o Pircher. Marco Insam scored the South Tyroleans' first goal in the 14th minute, Alan Lobis made it 2:0 in the 39th minute, and Simon Kostner rounded off the scoring in the 58th minute. RIT netminder Colin Furlong delivered a strong performance, stopping all 41 shots to secure his third shutout of the season.

The first quarter-final matchday also featured overtime, where SIJ Acroni Jesenice beat S.G. Cortina Hafro 2:1. In this repeat of the 2023 final, Luca Barnabo initially put the visitors from Cortina ahead in the 18th minute. However, Tjas Lesnicar equalised for Slovenia's 2023 AHL champions in the 36th minute. The decision finally came in overtime, when Jasa Jenko secured victory for Jesenice in the 71st minute.

Alps Hockey League – quarter-finals:

Rittner Buam SkyAlps vs. HC Meran/o Pircher 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Score in the "best-of-7" series: 1:0

SIJ Acroni Jesenice vs. S.G. Cortina Hafro 2:1 after overtime (0:1,1:0,0:0,1:0)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Score in the "best-of-7" series: 1:0

Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel vs. Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 4:5 (0:1, 2:3, 2:1)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Score in the "best-of-7" series: 0:1

EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. EC Bregenzerwald 3:1 (2:0,1:1,0:0)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Score in the "best-of-7" series: 1:0