Friday, 13. June 2025 |

Red Bulls Salute: A portrait of EV Zug

Countdown to the Red Bulls Salute – A portrait of EV Zug// RED BULLS SALUTEIn around two and a half months, Red Bulls Salute 2025 will kick off in Zell am See-Kaprun. Once again, EV Zug will be there. For the Swiss team, the international invitational tournament is a final rehearsal before the start of the Champions League.

The EVZ will kick off the Red Bulls Salute on Friday (August 22, 4:00 p.m.) with a match against EC Red Bull Salzburg. Immediately following, EHC Red Bull München and Rögle BK will battle it out for the second spot in the final at 7:30 p.m. Depending on the outcome of these games, our boys could face Zug in the third-place playoff (August 23 | 3:00 p.m.) or in the grand final at 7:00 p.m.

This would be the second meeting between the two teams in this year's summer preparations. The two teams will face each other on August 16 at 5:00 p.m. in the Lehner Cup at the three-time Swiss champions' home arena, the Bossard Arena.

A duel with history

EV Zug will be participating in the Red Bulls Salute for the second time this summer. In their debut appearance in August 2022, then still in Kitzbühel, the team finished third after a 5-4 victory over our boys.

Incidentally, Munich's last victory against the Swiss team dates back to October 13, 2021, when we won 6-1 away in the group stage of the Champions League. The five games that followed in the Champions League and in the preseason all went to EVZ.

That was the Red Bulls Salute 2024

// RECAP

Change behind the bench: Liniger succeeds Tangnes

While the Red Bulls naturally want to end this streak, the EVZ has other plans. Namely, a new head coach. Former assistant coach Michael Liniger will take over the position of long-time head coach Dan Tangnes for the 2025/26 season. The Norwegian, who led Zug to two championship titles and one cup victory in seven years, is moving to Rögle BK.

"I am very excited to take on this challenge – all the more so because it will be with EVZ. The organization has a clear vision that it is consistently pursuing. I am proud to be able to continue contributing to this in the future," Liniger is quoted as saying on the club's website. He will be assisted in future by Roger Hansson from Sweden, who knows the PENNY DEL very well from his time as head coach at Düsseldorfer EG (2022/23).

On August 28, just a few days after the Red Bulls Salute, the new coaching team will stand together behind the bench for the first time in a competitive game. EV Zug will then travel to Lulea IF for their Champions League opener.

Tatar and Kubalik new, Diaz back

The past season ended too early for EVZ by their own standards. After finishing fourth in the Swiss National League (NL) regular season, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals against HC Davos after just four games. Zug won the last two championships in 2021 and 2022. Strong new signings are now expected to play a decisive role in helping the team build on this successful period.

Tomas Tatar (34), a center who has been a regular player in the NHL for the past 14 years, has moved to Zug. The Slovakian star comes from the New Jersey Devils and brings with him the experience and class of 983 appearances (509 points) in the world's best league. Forward Dominik Kubalik also has plenty of offensive power and experience in North America. The 29-year-old Czech (366 NHL games, 184 points) most recently scored 30 goals for HC Ambrì-Piotta. With 27 goals, the 2024 World Championship gold medalist was also the top scorer in the regular season.

In addition, experienced defenseman Raphael Diaz (Fribourg-Gottéron) returned to his home club. The 39-year-old leader played for Zug between 2016 and 2021, four of those years as captain. Behind him, goalkeeper Leonardo Genoni, who was named MVP of the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship after four shutouts and only seven goals conceded, continues to be one of the top performers and best goalkeepers in Europe.

Red Bulls Salute 2025 games at a glance

Semifinal 1 | August 22, 2025 | 4:00 p.m. | EC Red Bull Salzburg – EV Zug | Tickets

Semifinal 2 | August 22, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | EHC Red Bull Munich – Rögle BK | Tickets

Third place play-off | August 23, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Loser SF 1 – Loser SF 2 | Tickets

Final | August 23, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Winner SF 1 – Winner SF 2 | Tickets

All previous winners of the Red Bulls Salute:

2024: Växjö Lakers (SWE)

2023: IFK Helsinki (FIN)

2022: Mountfield HK (CZE)

2021: Bílí Tygri Liberec (CZE)

2020: EC-KAC (AUT)

2019: EHC Red Bull Munich (GER)