HC Pustertal is playing away against the league leaders. © F. Pessentheiner

Tough tasks ahead: The derby was just the prelude

After the derby, the next tough tests await: While HC Pustertal has to prove itself against the league leaders from Klagenfurt, HC Bozen will face their league rivals Red Bull Salzburg at home.

05 January 2026

From: never

The mood after the derby was – understandably – completely different for HC Pustertal and HC Bozen. On the one hand, the beaming faces of the victorious players from the provincial capital, On the other hand, the wolves wore frustrated expressions.. Two days after the emotional clash in the Intercable Arena, the arch-rivals are extremely similar in one respect – namely, with regard to the next hurdle in the ICE Hockey League.

Both Bolzano and Pustertal face a tough challenge on Monday evening against one of the league's top teams. On paper, the Wolves have the slightly trickier task. Sixth-placed HCP travels to Carinthia to take on league leaders Klagenfurt. In their two previous encounters, they came away empty-handed against the six-time champions: in mid-October, Pustertal lost 2-3 in overtime, and in early December, they suffered a crushing 0-4 defeat at home. After three consecutive losses, the Wolves will be particularly eager to show their mettle – can they pull it off against the league's number one team? A glimmer of hope: the Carinthians have lost two of their last three games, falling to both Ljubljana (2-3) and Bolzano (1-2).

Bolzano is eyeing third place

HC Bolzano, meanwhile, has been on a roll ever since their derby victory. They aim to continue this success in the clash of two of the most in-form teams in the ICE Hockey League. On Monday evening, the Foxes host EC Red Bull Salzburg in a battle for third place. Salzburg currently sits in third with 64 points, behind Klagenfurt (71) and Ljubljana (70), while Bolzano follows with 63. The reigning champions have cemented their position at the top with ten consecutive wins, while HC Bolzano boasts an equally impressive run of seven victories in their last eight games.

Red Bull Salzburg visits HC Bozen. © EC Red Bull Salzburg / Gintare Karpaviciute - EC Red Bull Salzburg

Early in the season, Bolzano and Salzburg faced each other, with each team securing a victory. Salzburg triumphed in the season opener at the Sparkasse Arena (4-3), while three weeks later the Foxes exacted revenge, also on the road, with a 4-1 win.

ICE Hockey League – Monday's games

Vienna Capitals – SV Villach (7:15 pm)
EC Klagenfurt – HC Pustertal (7:15 pm)
Fehervar – Graz99ers (7:15 pm)
Olimpija Ljubljana – Ferencvarosi (19.15 p.m.)
Pioneers Vorarlberg – HC Innsbruck (19.30 p.m.)
HC Bozen – EC Red Bull Salzburg (7:45 pm)