Mannheim, Germany — April 17, 2026 Adler Mannheim secured their first German Ice Hockey League (DEL) finals appearance since 2019 with a decisive 4-1 victory over Munich in the playoff semifinals on Friday night. The Mannheim team clinched the series with a dominant performance on home ice, marking their return to the championship round after a five-year absence. The victory was fueled by goals from Alexander Ehl, Nicolas Mattinen, Matthias Plachta, and Leon Gawanke, while national team goaltender Maximilian Franzreb anchored the defense.
Key Players Deliver in Decisive Win
Adler Mannheim’s offense came alive early, with Alexander Ehl opening the scoring just four minutes into the game. Despite a quick equalizer from Munich’s Tobias Rieder in the eighth minute, Mannheim regained control with goals from Mattinen and Plachta in the second period. Gawanke sealed the win early in the third, scoring just 42 seconds after the intermission to break Munich’s resistance.
Franzreb’s steady presence in net was pivotal, turning away multiple scoring chances as Munich struggled to mount a comeback. The EHC, which fell to Mannheim in last season’s quarterfinals, managed only one goal despite a spirited effort.
Home Crowd Fuels Momentum
Playing before a packed crowd of 13,600 at SAP Arena, Mannheim capitalized on the energy from their supporters. Ehl’s early goal set the tone, though the team initially struggled to build on the momentum. "Ehl sorgte vor 13.600 Zuschauern für einen Blitzstart der Adler, der ihnen allerdings keine Sicherheit verlieh," noted observers, highlighting the tense moments before Mannheim pulled away.