Four days after their 5-4 win in the top game against Adler Mannheim, the Kölner Haie confirmed their form and won their home game against Wolfsburg.
In the second home game within a few days, the Haie beat the Grizzlys Wolfsburg 4-1, overtaking Mannheim in the table for the time being and climbing to second place. For the Haie it was the eighth win from the last nine games. Cologne has always scored points in the last twelve games.
Finnish duo takes the lead
In the first few minutes both teams felt each other out and there was no real flow of the game. In the person of Valtteri Kemiläinen, the Haie then struck coldly after ten minutes: The Cologne team ran towards the opponent’s goal with a lot of speed, Juhani Tyrväinen played the puck from the left side into the path of Kemiläinen, who sent the puck into the right corner with a wrist shot.
The KEC were now the dominant team, Patrick Russell put a shot on the left post after 15 minutes. A little later the disc landed in the Wolfsburg goal for the second time. Dominik Bokk shot the puck towards the goal from an acute angle and caught another Wolfsburg stick that deflected the puck into the goal (17′). The 25-year-old newcomer also scored points in the fifth game in a row. Thanks to a stable Cologne defense that didn’t allow much at the back, the KEC took the 2-0 lead into the first break.
Wolfsburg wakes up – Cologne follows suit
Shortly after the restart, ex-Shark Björn Krupp scored the next goal. The defender’s shot went just wide of the goal and Krupp was also unable to put the follow-up shot into the goal (24′). On the other hand, Cologne’s Maximilian Kammerer only hit the post (27th).
It stayed that way: The Kölner Haie were the more dangerous team and scored the next goal after half an hour (33′). Brady Austin grabbed the puck on the boards behind the Wolfsburg goal, got into a central position and pushed in unhindered to make it 3-0. Wolfsburg’s best man in the first 40 minutes was goalie Dustin Strahlmeier, who prevented the Haie from taking an even bigger lead.
Cologne managed – Kammerer with the final point
In the final third, the KEC managed the lead and concentrated on counterattacks. Three minutes before the end of the game, Wolfsburg coach Mike Stewart took a time-out, which immediately ignited. Goalie Strahlmeier left the ice and the Grizzlys promptly scored the next goal. Matt White played the disc precisely onto the stick of Gemel Smith, who scored his first goal in the first game for Wolfbsurg (57th).
The Grizzlys didn’t have any further chances. Kammerer captured the puck in the neutral zone and hit the empty net to make the final score 4-1. On Sunday the Sharks will be guests at the Eisbären Berlin (6 p.m.).
Our sources:
- DEL game Kölner Haie against Grizzlys Wolfsburg on December 18th, 2025 at MagentaSport
Broadcast: WDR.de, “Kölner Haie confirm strong form – home win against Wolfsburg”, December 18, 2025, 10:09 p.m
