Monday, 13. July 2026 |
Red Bulls Salute 2026: A Profile of EHC Biel
On August 21 at 4:00 p.m., EHC Biel-Bienne and HC Dynamo Pardubice from the Czech Republic will kick off the first semifinal of the international invitational tournament hosted by our tourism partner, Zell am See-Kaprun. Following that, the Red Bulls will face EC Red Bull Salzburg in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m.
Depending on the outcomes of both games, we could face the Swiss team—based in the country’s largest bilingual city (German/French)—in either the third-place game or the championship game the following day. “Biel is currently undergoing a transformation. They hired a new coach at the beginning of the year and are set to make some changes,” Kahun speculates.
A Fresh Start with Dubé
Christian Dubé has been behind the bench for the Swiss team since January. The 49-year-old Canadian, who made it to the NHL as a player, is tasked with getting the team back on track. After reaching the National League final in the 2022–23 season, the following years were less successful for the three-time Swiss champions. Last year, they finished tenth after the regular season and were eliminated in the pre-playoffs by SC Bern (0–2).
So now things are set to turn around again—with the team’s usual strengths. “They’re incredibly good skaters, have placed a lot of emphasis on puck possession, and have always strived to be very creative,” says our returning newcomer, drawing on his experience from head-to-head matchups in recent years with Lausanne HC and Bern against Biel.
Scandinavia Meets North American Experience
There have already been quite a few personnel changes this summer. Between the posts, however, there’s still an extremely experienced Finn who won Olympic and World Championship gold with his home country in 2022—alongside our defenseman Ville Pokka, by the way. In May 2026, the veteran won the World Championship title once again. “They have incredible individual players and a very good goaltender in Harri Säteri,” said Kahun.
Adjustments have already been made on defense. New to the team is Russian Alexander Iakovenko, who returned to his former club after a year in Bern. The defenseman had previously played 207 games for Biel (112 points). Also new is Victor Söderström, a Swede with NHL experience (61 games in the world’s top league), who joined from the Providence Bruins (AHL, 30 points).
Biel also looked to North America for reinforcements on offense. Forward Andrew Agozzino, who has 53 NHL games under his belt, is expected to provide goals going forward. The 35-year-old was a teammate of Maksymilian Szuber for two years with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL; most recently, the Canadian recorded 19 goals and 20 assists. In addition, Biel’s top two scorers, Fabio Hofer (41 points) and Lias Andersson (40 points), remain on the team.
“We Can Learn a Lot Right Away”
One thing is clear: The Red Bulls will be facing some of the very best teams at the Red Bulls Salute. “Salzburg, Biel, and Pardubice are all top-tier teams,” Kahun emphasizes. So our guys are already facing some real tests at this early stage. “For us as a team, it’s incredibly important to be able to test ourselves against opponents like these right in August. We can learn a lot right away,” says the 31-year-old national team player.
Red Bulls Salute 2026 Matches at a Glance
Semifinal 1 | August 21, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. | EHC Biel – HC Dynamo Pardubice | Tickets
Semifinal 2 | August 21, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. | EHC Red Bull München – EC Red Bull Salzburg | Tickets
Third-Place Game | August 22, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. | Loser of Semifinal 1 – Loser of Semifinal 2 | Tickets
Final | August 22, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. | Winner of Semifinal 1 – Winner of Semifinal 2 | Tickets
All previous winners of the Red Bull Salute
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2025: Rögle BK (SWE)
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2024: Växjö Lakers (SWE)
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2023: IFK Helsinki (FIN)
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2022: Mountfield HK (CZE)
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2021: Bílí Tygri Liberec (CZE)
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2020: EC-KAC (AUT)
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2019: EHC Red Bull Munich (GER)
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2018: SC Bern (SUI)
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2017: EHC Red Bull Munich (GER)
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2013: JYP (FIN)
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2012: Luleå Hockey (SWE)
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2011: EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
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2010: Eisbären Berlin (GER)
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2009: EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
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2008: HC Sparta Prague (CZE)
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2007: Los Angeles Kings (USA)
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2006: ZSC Lions (SUI)
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2005: ERC Ingolstadt (GER)
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