First Games, First Insights: What the Red Bulls Have Learned from Their DEL S...

Monday, 21. September 2026 |

EHC Red Bull München: A Look Back at the First Games of the 2026/27 DEL Season

First Games, First Insights: What the Red Bulls Have Learned from Their DEL StartA Fairytale Comeback, a Goal-Scoring Debut, and Capitalizing on Opportunities// StoriesEHC Red Bull München kicked off the new DEL season with three points from its first two games. While there were many bright spots, there were also some areas for improvement in Munich’s play. Let’s take a look back.

From our perspective, the start of the 33rd PENNY DEL season was a partial success. First, in a high-caliber showdown to kick off the season at a sold-out SAP Garden, our team came out on top with a 4-3 victory over the Adler Mannheim in a shootout. On Sunday afternoon, however, Coach Oliver David’s team fell 3–4 to the Grizzlys Wolfsburg. At least we were able to pick up points in both games, though we could have achieved more in the end.

Dominant with and without the puck

That said, looking at the results is one thing; assessing our own performance is another—especially this early in the season. And here, the Red Bulls made it clear that they’re a force to be reckoned with this season. In both games, Munich repeatedly had stretches where they put pressure on their opponents with an aggressive forecheck and even dominated them. This resulted in a total of 74 shots on goal and numerous scoring chances. Only the Augsburger Panther had more shots on goal (79).

Here's how the season opener against the Adler Mannheim went

// Highlights

“We know we can beat anyone if we play our kind of hockey,” emphasized our forward Veit Oswald, who scored his first goal of the season in Wolfsburg.

“It means so much to me to be playing here again”

Dominik Kahun has also whetted our appetite for more. Our returning player scored in both games and, with three goals already, is among the league’s top scorers. The 31-year-old was one of Munich’s most prominent forwards against both Mannheim and Wolfsburg and, together with his linemates Yasin Ehliz and Jeremy McKenna, posed a constant threat. In short: Kahun weaved his way through the defense and played as if he’d never been away.

One moment, by the way, really got to him. It was when stadium announcer Wolfgang Dittrich called him onto the ice for the player introductions during the home game against Mannheim—accompanied, of course, by chants of “Kahun, Kahun, Kahun”: “That’s when I was the most nervous. I don’t think I was even that nervous before my first NHL game, because playing here again means so much to me,” admitted our number 21. “I thought long and hard about that moment—what it would be like to take the ice here again. It was a wonderful experience.”

This coming Sunday, Kahun and his teammates will take the ice for the first time in their new Oktoberfest jerseys against the Frankfurt Lions. Get your tickets now!

Debut Goal in a Top Match

One of our youngest players also brought a lot of joy: Moritz Warnecke. Our young defenseman, who joined the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy in 2022, impressed alongside Lukas Klok with a composed performance and even got to play during a penalty kill.

The highlight: Against the Kurpfälzer, the Karlsruhe native scored his first DEL goal in the 34th minute with a well-placed shot into the corner.

Calm and Confidence Between the Posts

Just as they had during a strong preseason, our two goalies have now also gotten off to a strong start to the season. Mathias Niederberger was brilliant against Mannheim, stopping a total of 40 shots. Antoine Bibeau was every bit as good on Sunday, making all the saves he needed in Wolfsburg. Both goalies gave their linesmen opportunities to score.

Finding Solutions

It was also impressive to see how the Red Bulls bounced back from minor setbacks and found solutions. After conceding a 3-3 tie in the third period against Mannheim due to a pair of quick goals, we picked up the pace again shortly afterward and pushed to regain the lead.

Highlights: EHC Red Bull München vs. Adler Mannheim (September 18, 2026)

// Gameday

And against Wolfsburg, too, we responded well after falling behind, managed to tie the game, and were close to victory in the final period. Unfortunately, Grizzlys goalie Dustin Strahlmeier had other ideas.

“We need to find ways to close out games like this”

But the first two games have also made it clear that not everything is running smoothly yet. For one thing, we still lack consistency over 60 minutes, and on top of that, we’re having occasional defensive coordination issues in our own zone.

The biggest shortcoming, however, was that we let the game slip away each time after taking the lead. Against Mannheim, we were up 3–1; against Wolfsburg, 1–0—with significantly more shots and scoring chances in the end.

“The stats were in our favor, but we need to find ways to close out games like these,” Oswald insisted after the matchup in Wolfsburg. “We just have to execute the details even better and maybe score a lucky goal every now and then,” said the 22-year-old from Landshut.

The next opportunity to do so comes this Friday in an away game against the Bremerhaven Pinguins.

Red Bulls Earn a Point in Wolfsburg

GamedaySun 20.09

New Rules in the PENNY DEL for the 2026–27 Season

GamedayWed 16.09

A Journey into the Past with Dominik Kahun

StoriesTue 08.09