Overview

• Faceoff is 19:30 at Berlin’s Uber-Arena with live coverage on MagentaSport after demand likened by Eisbären’s CEO to a Game 7.
• Dresden expects about 3,000 to 4,000 traveling supporters after extraordinary ticket interest identified by postcode sales data.
• Most coaches and analysts tab Berlin as clear title favorites, despite recent CHL stumbles that are viewed as a limited form guide.
• Eisbären are without national defender Kai Wissmann long term, while Dresden plans a defense-first approach, staying out of the box and seeking counters and power-play chances.
• DEL leadership projects preliminary revenues just under €200 million and warns that limited venue capacity and the absence of attendance magnets like DEG could cap growth; Dresden will also stage a January Winter Game that sold out quickly.