Wednesday, 12. March 2025 | Open Locker Room 2025: Interview with the Red Bulls ahead of the DEL playoffs
Open locker room: Red Bulls welcome media representatives to the changing roomWinkler: “They will be very intense and heated duels against Mannheim”// CURRENTOn Sunday, EHC Red Bull München will kick off the 2025 DEL playoffs at Adler Mannheim. Just a few days before the start of the best time of the year, the four-time German champions opened the door to their locker room to numerous media representatives.The locker room is the sanctuary of a hockey team, and normally only the players, coaches, staff and employees have access to it. However, the Red Bulls made an exception before the start of the playoffs, as they have in previous years, and invited media representatives from print, radio and TV to the locker room. Around 25 journalists accepted the invitation to the Open Locker Room.
Before the interviews, the media representatives present watched the team training of the four-time German champions. Coach Don Jackson was absent due to a private appointment. After a 90-minute session – led by assistant coach Pierre Allard – the team returned to the team area. There, the journalists took the opportunity to conduct interviews with the München players, coaches and officials.
Our reporter Dominik Bittner accompanies the Open Locker Room 2025
Winkler: “The guys are incredibly fired up”
The main topic of conversation was the Red Bulls' upcoming quarter-final series against Adler Mannheim. “We're feeling confident because we know we can beat Mannheim. The win against Adler two weeks ago was important. We'll go into the series with almost our full team. The guys are incredibly fired up,” explained Christian Winkler, Managing Director Sports Red Bull Ice Hockey. He added: ‘There are a lot of emotions in this series. Mannheim is a big club, we are one of the big ones too. We can all look forward to it with joy, because I think it's going to be explosive. It's going to be very intense and heated.”
Hager: ’We have everything we need in the locker room'
München's captain Patrick Hager was also in high demand. “The playoffs are the hardest time of the year – and at the same time the most fun. Those who can best handle pressure and minor ailments can achieve great things,” said the 36-year-old veteran. His hunger for success is still huge even after winning three championships: “Since I became champion for the first time, the urge to do it again has become even greater. It's like an addiction.”
Hager has played the most playoff games (144) of any active DEL professional. The Munich forward is also just one goal away from drawing level with Patrick Reimer (91 points) in the DEL's all-time playoff scorer list. Hager knows what is important in the decisive phase of the season. His verdict: “We have everything in the dressing room that we need to go far. It's up to us to now deliver this quality when it counts.”
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The Open Locker Room before the 2025 playoff start in pictures
Kastner can write club history, Weber the model student
Most playoff games for München from the current squad are on the account of Maximilian Kastner. The 32-year-old has appeared 93 times in the final round of the DEL so far. He is missing just five appearances to draw level with the club's record holder Daryl Boyle (98).
Jakob Weber (two games) has significantly less playoff experience in the DEL. However, the 21-year-old youngster set another record: he was the only München player to appear in all 52 games in the previous regular season.
Two playoff series between München and Mannheim
München and Mannheim have met twice in the DEL playoffs so far. The Red Bulls won the first semi-final in 2017/18 4-1 and a few days later clinched their third consecutive championship title. A year later, the next meeting took place in the final. There, Jackson's team had to admit defeat 1-4. At the same time, after winning eleven consecutive series (from 2016 to 2019), München's longest playoff run since their promotion in 2010 came to an end.
The quarter-finals, and with them the third playoff series between the two teams in DEL history, starts on March 16 (Sunday | 2:00 pm) in Mannheim, before the Red Bulls host the Adler for the first time in the second quarterfinal game on March 19 (Wednesday | 7:30 pm) at SAP Garden. Assistant coach Allard believes the Red Bulls are well prepared: “We have analyzed the Adler Mannheim in depth. We have gone into the smallest details.”
The playoff dates at a glance:
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Quarter-final 1: Sunday, March 16, 2:00 pm | Adler Mannheim – EHC Red Bull München
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Quarter-final 2: Wednesday, March 19, 7:30 pm | EHC Red Bull München – Adler Mannheim - get your tickets now
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Quarter-final 3: Friday, March 21, 7:30 pm | Adler Mannheim – EHC Red Bull München
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Quarter-final 4: Sunday, March 23, 7:00 p.m. | EHC Red Bull Munich – Adler Mannheim - get your tickets now
The exact times of our quarter-final matches against Mannheim have been fixed// DATES
“It helps to have a short-term memory.”// INTERVIEW
Mit Video
Facts, figures, stats: Red Bulls can go into the playoffs with confidence// LATEST NEWS
The exact times of our quarter-final matches against Mannheim have been fixed// DATES
“It helps to have a short-term memory.”// INTERVIEW
Mit Video
Facts, figures, stats: Red Bulls can go into the playoffs with confidence// LATEST NEWS
