Austrian Ice Hockey League: Lustenau Dominates, Wattens Stuns in Recent Matchups
Table of Contents
The Austrian Ice Hockey League (ÖEHL) witnessed a flurry of action over the weekend, with dominant performances from EHC Lustenau and a surprising road victory for the WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins headlining the results. Meanwhile, HC Kufstein continued its strong form, and the UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden maintained their lead in the East Division.
West Division: Lustenau’s Derby Triumph and Wattens’ Upset
EHC Lustenau secured a decisive 2-0 victory in the Vorarlberg derby against SC Samina Hohenems on Monday, December 8th, at the Hohenems Ice Stadium. Over 1,500 fans witnessed Lucas Haberl open the scoring in the 6th minute, with Dominic Haberl extending the lead in the 27th minute on a power play. Goaltender Felix Beck earned a shutout, solidifying Lustenau’s position at the top of the West Division table. “The team played with incredible intensity and focus,” a senior official stated, highlighting the importance of the derby win.
In a stunning result, the Wattens Penguins overcame EHC Kundl in a high-scoring affair, winning 7-4 on Monday. Despite Kundl taking an early lead just 31 seconds into the game through Sebastian Schild, the Penguins responded quickly. The game saw multiple lead changes and a remarkable four shorthanded goals – two for Wattens and two for Kundl. Daniel Frischmann led the Penguins with two goals, while Luca Muigg contributed with a pair of his own.
HC Kufstein continued its impressive run with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Dornbirner EC Bulldogs on Monday. Patrick Hager opened the scoring for Kufstein early, and Aleksi Airaksinen added two goals to secure the win. The Bulldogs, still reeling from a heavy defeat to Lustenau, struggled to contain Kufstein’s offensive power. A post-game report noted that over 170 minutes of penalties were handed out during the match, reflecting the physical nature of the contest.
Lustenau previously demonstrated their dominance with an overwhelming 11-1 win against the Bulldogs on Saturday, December 6th. A dominant offensive display saw nine different players score for Lustenau, with Dominic Haberl netting two goals.
SC Samina Hohenems bounced back from their loss to Lustenau with a convincing 7-2 victory over EHC Kundl on Friday, December 5th. Benjamin Kyllönen scored twice for Hohenems, while Christian Haidinger contributed with two power-play goals.
Wattens, however, struggled against Kufstein, falling 6-1 on Friday. Herbert Steiner and Stefan Reiter each scored twice for Kufstein, while Daniel Frischmann provided the lone goal for the Penguins.
East Division: Sharks Gmunden Remain Unbeaten
In the East Division, the UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden continued their perfect season with a 4-0 shutout victory over ATSE Graz on Monday, December 8th. Ian Motil scored just nine seconds into the game, setting the tone for a dominant performance. Bastian Szieber added two goals, including a shorthanded marker, while Elias Koller sealed the victory with a power-play goal. The Sharks have now won all eight of their games this season.
The Vienna Ice Skating Club also secured a decisive victory, defeating HDK Maribor 7-1 on Saturday, December 6th. Stephan Rossmann and Patrick Bolterle each scored twice for Vienna, leading their team to a comfortable win.
League Structure and Playoff Format
The 2025/2026 ÖEHL season features a two-division structure – West (six teams) and East (five teams) – in Phase 1. The East Division will play a two-and-a-half round-robin schedule, while the West Division will play two full rounds, resulting in 20 games per team in both divisions.
Following Phase 1, a supra-regional playoff will begin on February 7, 2026. A unique playoff pick system will allow the top team in each division to select their quarterfinal opponent from the third or fourth-placed team in the opposing division. All playoff rounds – quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final – will be decided in a best-of-three series (home-away-home).
Fans can find all tables, statistics, and schedules on the league’s game center. The Austrian Ice Hockey League also maintains active presences on Instagram and Facebook.
