Adler Mannheim vs Kladno

Kladno struck first just two minutes in. After winning an offensive-zone face-off, Samuel Vigneault beat Mannheim goaltender Jake Hildebrand from close range to make it 1–0. The early lead lasted only four minutes: Kris Bennett redirected home from the high slot to level the scores at 1–1 (6').

Mannheim's power play took over from there. Nick Mattinen found Kristian Reichel in front for a tap-in at 11' — 2–1. Two minutes later, Leon Gawanke ripped a shot home from the blue line on another man advantage to make it 3–1 (13'). Kladno struck back just before the first break: Oskar Lisler jumped off the penalty bench straight into the play and beat Hildebrand with a clean finish at 19', making it 3–2 after one period.

Kladno equalised early in the second. Filip Přikryl converted from the slot on the power play at 26' to make it 3–3. Mannheim's special teams responded immediately: Reichel struck again on the power play at 28', restoring the lead at 4–3. The Adler carried that one-goal advantage into the second intermission, with John Gilmour, Kris Bennett, Nick Mattinen and Zach Solow all unable to extend the lead before the break.

The decisive blows landed in the third period. Justin Schütz forced a turnover in the offensive zone and fired home at 45' for 5–3. Anthony Greco then produced a dagger: shorthanded at 53', he scored to make it 6–3. Greco added his second on the power play at 58' to round out the scoring at 7–3.

Kladno had fought back twice — from 0–1 to 1–1 and from 1–3 to 3–3 — and carried momentum into the third period. The game flipped when Justin Schütz won a puck battle behind the Kladno net and finished from a sharp angle at 45'. That goal broke Kladno's resistance, and when Anthony Greco added a shorthanded strike eight minutes later, the result was secure. Mannheim scored four unanswered goals from the 28th minute onward.

Kristian Reichel — two power-play goals from high-danger areas. Both finishes demonstrated quick release and soft hands in tight traffic. A candidate for player of the match.

Anthony Greco — a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal in the third period. His shorthanded strike at 53' effectively ended any Kladno hopes of a comeback.

Justin Schütz — two goals on the night (6' and 45'), including the game-winner that broke the 3–3 deadlock. Schütz also scored all three Mannheim goals in the earlier 4–1 win over Graz 99ers.

Jake Hildebrand — solid in goal for Mannheim, with key saves early (denying Nico Hlava in the 1st minute) and steady work through Kladno's second-period push.

Player of the match: Kristian Reichel.

Mannheim's four power-play goals (Reichel 11', Gawanke 13', Reichel 28', Greco 58') were the decisive stat line. Kladno matched Mannheim at even strength through two periods but could not contain the Adler's man advantage. Kladno's lone power-play goal (Přikryl 26') was their only successful conversion. Mannheim also added a shorthanded goal (Greco 53'), underscoring a dominant special-teams performance that decided a game that was otherwise evenly contested for 40 minutes.

The win secured the VC999 Herisau Ice Hockey Classics title for Mannheim, who beat HC Davos 6–5 on Thursday before dispatching Kladno. Mannheim have won two of three pre-season games so far (4–1 vs Graz 99ers, 3–4 vs Graz 99ers, 6–5 vs Davos, 7–3 vs Kladno) and face an undisclosed Swiss opponent on 29 August before their Champions Hockey League campaign begins.

For Kladno, the result is a learning experience under new head coach Radim Rulík. The Czech side beat Bílí Tygři Liberec 1–0 in their first pre-season test and play HC Davos on 22 August to close out the Herisau tournament. Kladno's revamped roster — featuring new additions like Dominik Pavlát, Michal Kempný, and Filip Westerlund — is still building chemistry.

A routine pre-season win for Mannheim that became notable for the quality of their special teams. Kladno competed well at 5-on-5 for two periods, but Mannheim's power-play efficiency (4/?, plus a shorthanded goal) was the difference. The Czech side's new-look squad will benefit from these competitive reps before the Extraliga season.

• Adler Mannheim: vs TBD (Switzerland), 29 August 2026
• Kladno: vs HC Davos (Herisau Classics), 22 August 2026