EHC Red Bull München: Red Bulls as guests at the Energie Steiermark Trophy

Thursday, 05. September 2024 | EHC Red Bull München: Red Bulls as guests at the Energie Steiermark Trophy

New starter, DEL opponent & series champion at final rehearsal in Graz// PREVIEWThe start of the PENNY DEL season is approaching. Two weeks before the season opener, EHC Red Bull München wants to take the next step forward at the Energie Steiermark Trophy. In Graz, our team will first face the Moser Medical Graz99ers.

The semi-final match against the hosts will take place on Friday (September 6 | 7:30 pm). The tournament in Austria is very important for the Red Bulls. "A few things have changed in our system. The details need to be more subconscious so that they run intuitively in the game," explains striker Markus Eisenschmid. The Löwen Frankfurt and the Stavanger Oilers from Norway will play for a place in the final at 4:00 pm. We introduce you to our rivals in more detail.

New start in Styria: Graz99ers are upgrading

The Graz99ers finished the last main round of the ICE Hockey League in last place. That is set to change this season. That's why the club has brought well-known players to Styria. The new arrivals include former German international Korbinian Holzer and Canadian Kevin Roy. Lukas Haudum, however, is considered to be the king transfer.

The 27-year-old forward is a keen player and a strong skater. He was the preferred candidate of President Herbert Jerich, who announced after the signing: "We said we needed an Austrian figurehead and have signed one of the best players Austria has to offer on a long-term contract for three years."

The creation of SAP Gardens in fast-forward

Graz are also hoping for a lot from Roy. He comes from Innsbruck and was one of the top scorers in the league last season. "Graz has a very strong squad. It will be a good test. I'm looking forward to it," says Eisenschmid about our first opponent. The Red Bulls have never played against Graz. They know a possible opponent for the second game from Germany.

New stars for the Löwen Frankfurt

Löwen Frankfurt missed out on the play-offs in the previous DEL season, finishing twelfth in the main round. The Hessians then made changes to the squad in key positions. New additions include coach Tom Rowe, who moved to the Main from the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, and goalkeeper Jussi Olkinuora. The 33-year-old Finn is the reigning Champions League winner from Genève-Servette HC.

Also on board are strong individualists such as offensive defenseman Maksim Matushkin and Carter Rowney. The Lions still need to settle in. In the current preparation, they have one win and three defeats. The Red Bulls have dominated the duels since the Lions were promoted. Our team has won the last seven duels against the Lions.

Eight out of eleven: Norway's serial champions Stavanger Oilers

Frankfurt's semi-final opponent is Stavanger Oilers. The team from the southwest of Norway has dominated the domestic top league for a good decade. The Oilers have won an outstanding eight of the past eleven championships. Last season, however, they reached the semi-finals.

The Oilers rely largely on Norwegian players. One of the most prominent players in the squad is Mathias Trettenes. The captain played for Norway at the Olympics and World Championships. From 2017 to 2019, he played for the Krefeld Penguins in the DEL - including against our team.

20240905 I Vorschau Energie Steiermark Trophy

Eisenschmid: "Have practiced more power play recently"

The Red Bulls want to have a successful dress rehearsal in Graz. Eisenschmid reports on what has happened in recent weeks: "We've practiced more power play recently. We've also concentrated on the build-up, the forecheck and the neutral zone. That's typical for preparation, that you focus on certain topics for each week." In Graz, our boys want to prove that their meticulous work is paying off.

You can watch our match against the Austrians in the livestream here for a fee. Please note: There will probably be no commentary during the broadcast.

Match schedule Energie Steiermark Trophy 2024:

September 6 | 4:00 pm | Löwen Frankfurt - Stavanger Oilers

September 6 | 7:30 pm | Moser Medical Graz99ers - EHC Red Bull München

September 7 | 4:00 pm | Loser Game 1 - Loser Game 2

September 7 | 7:30 pm | Winner Game 1 - Winner Game 2