Monday, 14. September 2026 |
Open Locker Room 2026: Members of the Press Visit the Red Bulls' Locker Room
Ahead of the start of the 2026/27 DEL season, the Red Bulls opened the doors to their locker room and offered a glimpse into their final preparations for the new season. The event began with on-ice practice on the main rink at SAP Garden. Afterward, players and coaches were available in the locker room for interviews, as well as video and photo sessions.
For Tobias Rieder, the Open Locker Room is more than just a regular event on the calendar. “It’s always fun to see the anticipation for the start of the season reflected in the faces of the media representatives. For us, this also marks the kickoff of the new season,” explains Rieder, adding with a wink that there’s a positive side effect: “It’s convenient that we can get so many interviews out of the way all at once. Then we’ve already taken care of quite a bit and can focus fully on hockey again.”
Hager: “The Team Is Already Further Along Than Last Year”
At the same time, the event provided an opportunity to assess the team’s intensive preseason training from a sporting perspective. Captain Patrick Hager looks back on the past few weeks with satisfaction: “I think we’ve had a very good preseason overall. In terms of results, too, we’ve consistently found ways to win games.” A key task for the team now is to consistently deliver these performances throughout the entire season.
1/10
2/10
3/10
4/10
5/10
6/10
7/10
8/10
9/10
10/10
Der Open Locker Room vor dem Saisonstart 2026/27 in Bildern
“Basically, it’s a challenge every year to bring the necessary consistency to our play—that is, to avoid periods where we unnecessarily throw games away,” explains Hager. Compared to last year, the captain believes his team has already made progress in this regard. While the team still had to find its footing at the start of the 2025–26 season, the situation is different this time around. “It makes a difference whether you have to integrate 14 new players or just five. So overall, we’re further along than we were at the same point last year.”
Rautert Praises New Signings
Nevertheless, expectations remain high. “We can’t just assume that we’re already a step ahead,” Hager emphasizes. “We have to keep working consistently and diligently and constantly improve so that we can have a successful season this year.”
Neville Rautert (Managing Director of Sports at EHC Red Bull München) is also satisfied with how the new players have integrated: “All of our new players have performed very well so far. They also deserve praise for their character and attitude. They always want to win and work hard for it. That’s why they’re fitting in so well with the team.”
A Rematch of the Semifinals to Kick Off the Season on Friday
There isn’t much time left until the season starts: On Friday (September 18 | 7:30 p.m.), the Red Bulls will open their 2026–27 DEL season with a home game at SAP Garden against the Adler Mannheim. You can still secure tickets for this opening-night showdown here.
A longer interview with Coach Oliver David, who also spoke at the Open Locker Room event, will follow in the coming days.
Mit Galerie
Red Bulls unterliegen Pustertal im letzten Testspiel // SPIELTAG
Mit Video
A Journey into the Past with Dominik Kahun// STORIES
Mit Galerie
2026 Wiesn Champions: The Red Bulls Face Off Against 1860 and Bad Tölz// STORIES