Pardubice vs Munchen

Pardubice continued to dictate play early in the third period, even disrupting München's breakouts while shorthanded. Bibeau kept his side alive with a critical save during a München penalty kill from the 43rd minute. The game shifted at 50:31: München's powerplay finally clicked. Hirose set up Lucas Thaler in the right circle, and Thaler's one-timer beat Subban to level the scores at 2–2.

The energy swung decisively. With the game stretched and both sides pushing, Jeremy McKenna delivered the decisive blow at 57:45, finishing a slick setup from Yasin Ehliz to make it 3–2. Pardubice pulled Subban for an extra attacker in the final minute, but Bibeau and the München defence held firm.

"It was like a marathon: at the end, we were the first to cross the finish line," München head coach Oliver David said via the club's official channels.

• Lucas Thaler (München) — Scored the 2–2 powerplay equaliser and assisted Rieder's opener. His two-point performance turned the match. Player of the match.
• Antoine Bibeau (München) — Made key saves at 27:00 against Tomášek and during a third-period penalty kill. Finished with a steady performance under sustained pressure.
• Jeremy McKenna (München) — His second goal of the tournament (after also scoring against Salzburg in the semifinal) proved the winner. Clinical finish at 57:45.
• Tobias Rieder (München) — Opened the scoring with a clinical finish in the slot and worked hard on the forecheck.

The period-by-period breakdown (1–1, 0–1, 2–0 from München's perspective) tells the story. Pardubice dominated the middle frame — David described it as "15 minutes in defence" for his side — outshooting München and taking a deserved lead. But München's powerplay, which had failed earlier, delivered the equaliser at the critical moment, and the Red Bulls finished strongly. Attendance was 1,600 at the 2,600-capacity KE KELIT Arena.

This was the third-place game of the 19th edition of the Red Bulls Salute, an annual pre-season invitational tournament featuring four top European teams. For München (EHC Red Bull München), the result builds momentum ahead of the 2026–27 PENNY DEL season. For Pardubice (HC Dynamo Pardubice), the reigning Czech Extraliga runners-up, the tournament exposed areas to sharpen before the Champions Hockey League campaign begins. In the evening final, EC Red Bull Salzburg faced EHC Biel-Bienne for the tournament title (19:00 local time).

München's third-period powerplay and late-game execution reversed the pattern from their semifinal, where they had surrendered a 2–0 lead. Pardubice will rue not extending their advantage during a dominant second period. A meaningful pre-season test for both, but München leaves Zell am See with a trophy and a blueprint for closing out tight games.