Patrick Demetz has already won the DEL2 title with Regensburg. © Private

For the fifth season: Demetz stays in Regensburg

South Tyrol's only player in the DEL2 remains loyal to his club: Patrick Demetz extended his contract with the Eisbären Regensburg for another year on Wednesday.

06 May 2026

From: pm

"With Demetz extending his contract, a key pillar of the defensive unit has signed with the Regensburg Polar Bears. In 209 appearances in the red and white jersey so far, he has impressed above all with his uncompromising, physical, and selfless play, as well as his solid defensive work – his 266 penalty minutes during this time underscore his consistently high level of commitment," the Bavarian club wrote. The 25-year-old defenseman will thus enter his fifth year with the second-division team from the Upper Palatinate.

The defensive specialist completed much of his development with HC Gherdëina, where he was mostly deployed as a forward. In 2015, Demetz joined the Krefeld EV youth program. During the 2019/2020 season, he made his first appearances for the Penguins in the Oberliga Nord (third-tier league). His strong performances attracted the interest of several clubs, leading to a move to Leipzig for the 2021/2022 season, where he was increasingly deployed on defense. He impressed there as well – in his new role – and after the Eisbären won the Oberliga title and were subsequently promoted to the DEL2 (second-tier league), he moved to Regensburg. Since then, his strong performances have also earned him a place on the Italian national team roster, for which he has made five appearances to date.

"Here, people always stick together."

Demetz can hardly wait for his fifth season in the EBR jersey: “I’m happy to continue being part of the Eisbären family. We’ve already experienced so much together – whether it’s the DEL2 championship or the relegation play-offs – and it has always been shown that here in Regensburg, we always stick together.”

Patrick Demetz is staying in Regensburg. © Private

The defender also emphasized that the season, which recently ended with a semifinal exit against eventual champions Krefeld, offered numerous highlights: "It was another fantastic season – with a great playoff series against Rosenheim and special game days like Retro Night. I feel really at home here; there's no reason for me to leave. Regensburg has become my second home. The club, the team, and the fans: it's one big family. Now I want to take on even more responsibility as a player."