DEL Winter Game 2026: Ice lions duel with polar bears in Dresden!

DEL Winter Game 2026: Ice lions duel with polar bears in Dresden!

The anticipation in Dresden is palpable, because the eagerly awaited event will take place on January 10, 2026 DEL Winter Game instead of. The home ground of the Dresdner Eislöwen, the Rudolf Harbig Stadium, will be the scene of a historic duel against the Eisbären Berlin, the reigning DEL champions. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the city is expecting more than 30,000 hockey fans hoping for a hot game.

The great enthusiasm for the event is already evident: over 2,000 season tickets have already been sold and the capacity of the JOYNEXT Arena is 4,412 spectators. Advance sales quickly picked up speed, with 17,000 of a total of 32,000 tickets sold within just a few hours. For fans there are standing places from 29.90 euros and seats from 42.90 euros, which also makes the event financially interesting.

Historic encounter

This Winter Game is not just another game in the DEL, but also marks the first home duel between the Eislöwen and the Eisbären in the open air in the top league. “It is a highlight and a lighthouse project for the DEL,” said Gernot Tripcke, Managing Director of the DEL, about the upcoming event. The Eislöwen have recently proven themselves in the DEL2 and are now ready to open their new league with a great game.

The Eisbären Berlin are not only the current champions, but also the record champions of the DEL. Its managing director Thomas Bothstede also said he was looking forward to the meeting in Dresden. “There’s something going on,” says Eislöwen managing director Maik Walsdorf, who sees this event as a unique opportunity to create more connections between leagues, cities and fans.

Expectations and ticket demand

The Ice Lion trainer Niklas Sundblad is aware of the challenges. “It’s important not only to present yourself well, but also to take the chance to win,” he explains. The great interest from spectators is also reflected in the Eislöwen's previous outdoor games, which attracted well over 30,000 fans in 2016 against the Lausitzer Füchse and in 2020 against two Czech teams. So the excitement is justified.

To increase the anticipation even further, the Eislöwen will play against the Eisbären in Berlin in the opening game of the new DEL season on September 9, 2025. They will play their first home game on September 14, 2025 against ERC Ingolstadt. The Dresden Ice Lions have shown a good hand in getting promoted to the PENNY DEL and their fans can now hope for exciting matches.

All that remains to say is: get your tickets and secure a place at this extraordinary event! Loud Sports show and icehockey.net January 10, 2026 will be a date on which ice hockey history will be made. Be there when the spectators gather in the Rudolf Harbig Stadium to experience the ice hockey event of the year!