Salzburg is looking forward to the championship duel with Berlin! – Hockey-News.info – All news about national and international ice hockey
Today, Saturday, the big championship duel between EC Red Bull Salzburg and the Polar Bears Berlin (4:30 p.m.). It is the first test match of the new season in the Salzburg Eisarena. In the course of this home opener, the 2021/22 championship flag will be drawn under the roof of the hall and after the game the Salzburg pros will be looking forward to their fans at an autograph session.
At least since the Red Bulls salute a week ago in Kitzbühel, the Red Bulls have been back in full swing, beating Swiss champions EV Zug there and only narrowly losing to top Czech team Mountfield HK in the final. After these games at the highest European level, the German champions are now coming from Berlin to the Salzburg Eisarena and challenging the champion of the win2day ICE Hockey League to a great master duel. The Berliners had secured the title in the PENNY DEL final against Red Bull Munich last season.
The Red Bulls are again expecting a tough game because, in addition to their technical skills in the last playoff, the polar bears also demonstrated staying power when they played nine games in the semi-finals and finals within 14 days and ultimately prevailed.
Salzburg defender Andrew MacWilliam, who had his own experience with the Berliners last season with Red Bull Munich: “It will be an interesting game. Even though we’re still in preparation, the last few games have been very intense and really prepare us perfectly for the season. Berlin is always a great team and just defended the title in the DEL. For me it might feel like a small revenge, but ultimately it’s about finding our way further and better into our system and that’s what we’re focusing on. But we should be prepared for some very good forwards who know what they’re doing with the puck.”
The 32-year-old Canadian has also found his way into the team on a personal level: “It’s getting better and better. No matter how much you train in the summer, it’s always something different on the ice and in competition. But it’s good, it’s a long and intense pre-season but very productive.”
Before the polar bears compete in Salzburg today, they tested yesterday in Linz. Before that, last weekend, they lost 4-1 to Pardubice and won 3-2 to Biel-Bienne at the Dolomiten Cup in Neumarkt in South Tyrol.
In their first home game of the season, the Red Bulls will have to do without the convalescent Troy Bourke, Philipp Wimmer and Paul Huber, who will be out of training for several weeks after breaking a metatarsal bone. The returnees from the U20 World Cup Luca Auer, Oskar Maier and Lucas Thaler will not play yet, but will be there for the autograph session afterwards. Just like Atte Tolvanen, who will form the Salzburg goalkeeper team with David Kickert tomorrow.
friendly game
EC Red Bull Salzburg – Eisbären Berlin
Sat, 08/20/2022; Salzburg Ice Arena, 4:30 p.m
SOCIAL PROGRAM WITH MASTER BANNER AND AUTOGRAPHING HOUR
The Red Bulls used their first home appearance in the Salzburg Eisarena to hang their new championship banner under the hall roof. A few minutes before the start of the game, the banner is ceremonially raised, it is then the Red Bulls’ seventh champion flag in the win2day ICE Hockey League and the ninth Austrian championship title.
After the game – around 45 minutes after the final whistle – the Red Bulls and all players, including the coach, look forward to their fans at an autograph session, which will be held in the foyer of the Salzburg Ice Arena.
ecrbs.redbulls.com, image: GEPA-Images/ Gintare Karpaviciute