Race for the Play-off places

Matches are now taking place again and the race for the final Play-off places has begun. The Dornbirn Bulldogs got things underway on 12 February, losing 1:4 at home to the Steinbach Black Wings 1992, but following their away win against EC Grand Immo VSV on 19 February, they were able to consolidate their first place in the placement round.

In the placement round, EC-KAC lost 1:2 to the spusu Vienna Capitals, while HCB Südtirol Alperia defeated EC Red Bull Salzburg 4:2. HCB Südtirol Alperia therefore lead the placement round. With the casino and betting providers presented on www.rapidplay.com, bets can still be placed on the winners of the final Play-off places as well as the overall winner of the current season.

Fans, ice hockey league officials and, of course, the teams are now hoping that the season can be completed swiftly and that there will not be another break due to a new lockdown. A comprehensive hygiene concept is intended to ensure play can continue until the end of the season. However, it remains unclear whether fans will be allowed back into the arenas by the final.

The cornerstones of the Return-to-Play concept

All teams in the Bet-At-Home Ice Hockey League have voluntarily committed to increasing the frequency of testing beyond the legally required level. Every player and every team official is tested at least once a week, rather than only when symptoms occur, as required.

Should a positive result be recorded, a PCR test is carried out for confirmation. A player who ultimately tests positive immediately goes into quarantine. The principle of team quarantine applies to all other players with negative tests. They remain together in a bubble. Before the next match, the affected team must promptly provide a negative test for every player. There must continue to be no symptoms whatsoever.

In addition to the coronavirus commission, a group of team doctors headed by Dr. med. Christiane Loinig has been established to coordinate match operations from a medical perspective and enable swift, flexible decisions on site.

A decision on whether a fixture can be played is made jointly with the team managers and only after consultation with the medical committee and the coronavirus commission. The aim is, on the one hand, to hold as many matches as possible, while also being able to make transparent decisions, for example on abandoning a match, in accordance with an established procedure.

In addition to the players and team officials, referees and other people essential to match operations must also adhere to strict rules. They must likewise undergo weekly testing and keep a coronavirus diary, with the test results and diary available for inspection by the league's medical department at any time in order to enable swift decisions or recommendations. Referees also receive special whistles that prevent aerosols from escaping when they blow the whistle.