Thursday, 10. September 2026 |
Preview: Red Bull München Visits HC Pustertal
Our Form:
Over the past two weekends, Coach Oliver David’s team celebrated tournament victories in Bolzano and Kaufbeuren—and improved their preseason record to six wins with just one overtime loss. Newcomer Lucas Thaler gave a positive interim assessment ahead of the final tune-up in the Puster Valley. “We’ve had some good weeks. The level of play in practice is very high for us right now,” said the Austrian national team player.
Most recently, the Red Bulls celebrated five straight wins. Our team impressed with its spirit and stamina, as we won the final period in each of those games and always scored at least two goals in the process. Overall, the final-period goal differential during this stretch stands at 11-1 in Munich’s favor. That ability to mount comebacks was certainly necessary, though, as we found ourselves trailing at some point in four of those games.
Highlights: HC Bolzano vs. EHC Red Bull München (August 30, 2026)
// Highlights
The Opponent:
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal has been playing in the multinational ICE Hockey League since 2021. Last season, the South Tyrolean team based in Bruneck was the big surprise. After finishing fifth in the regular season, the Wolves marched through the playoffs all the way to the final, where they were defeated by the Graz99ers.
Along the way, they eliminated, among others, the EC Red Bull Salzburg—which at the time still featured Thaler. Speaking from experience, he says: “They’re a very tight-knit team. Our games against them were almost always evenly matched.”
Among the key players are the two North Americans, Cole Bardreau and Henry Bowlby. The two top scorers from last season are expected to spark the offense again this season. DEL fans will recognize former Straubing player JC Lipon and defenseman Markus Lauridsen, who won the DEL title with the Red Bulls in 2017–18.
Last season, two other former Munich players played for HC Pustertal. This summer, however, Adam Almquist retired—and Jon Blum transferred to EV Landshut.
Episode 4 - „Wer bist denn du?“ mit Lucas Thaler
// INTERVIEW
The Showdown:
“If we don’t execute our system well, they’ll punish us. That’s why this is another important test before we face Mannheim this coming Friday,” says Thaler.
For Pustertal, too, this is the final tune-up before the start of the ICE Hockey League season. The results from the preseason give hope for another successful season: They suffered a loss only in their first preseason game against ERC Ingolstadt (3–4 in a shootout). That was followed by four wins against teams from the DEL2, ICEHL, and the Czech Extraliga. A 20–13 goal differential is nothing to sneeze at.
Player in the Spotlight:
Tobias Rieder scored twice in the 5–1 victory over the Belfast Giants, playing a key role in the Red Bulls’ tournament victory in Kaufbeuren. With four goals, Rieder is our top scorer in this preseason. The former NHL player aims to maintain his form and carry it over to the DEL.
On the other hand, Tommy Purdeller is one of those players who can make a difference. “He’s really good,” says Thaler of the 22-year-old, who spent four years at the Red Bulls’ academy during his youth. In each of the past two seasons, he has surpassed the 30-point mark in the regular season. As a reward, he represented Italy at this year’s World Championship and the Olympic Games.
Facts and Figures:
The two teams have faced each other once before. Their first—and so far only—matchup took place 14 years ago: During preseason for the 2012–13 season, our team won 7–2 in Bruneck. Back then, Martin Hinterstocker and Lubor Dibelka, among others, each scored twice. However, the rosters from back then bear no resemblance to today’s teams.
Game Day Info:
The game will be played at the Intercable Arena in Bruneck. Opened in 2021, the arena seats 3,100 spectators. For all fans who want to be there in person, tickets are still available here.
The game will also be broadcast via a paid livestream on Sporteurope.TV—and, of course, we’ll be covering it as usual in the live blog on our website and app.
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