Grenoble overwhelms Rouen: Ice hockey giants storm to the top!

Grenoble overwhelms Rouen: Ice hockey giants storm to the top!

There is a lot to report in ice hockey at the moment, especially when it comes to the exciting duels in the Ligue Magnus. On January 3, 2026, the Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble managed to prevail in their third meeting against Rouen with a clear 5-1 win and thus take the lead in the league. This game took place at the Pôle Sud Arena, which was sold out that evening. The atmosphere was electric as Grenoble gained the upper hand after a thrilling first half.

The Rouennais had the upper hand in the first period but were unable to score, largely thanks to the excellent goalkeeper Matija Pintaric, who saved an impressive 20 shots. But then it started: In the second third, Aurélien Dair took the first lead in the 23rd minute, followed by two more goals within 31 seconds by Alex Prissaint. François Beauchemin went one better with his goal in the 33rd minute.

Grenoble's title ambitions

The Rouennais' sadness was then somewhat assuaged by Gresock's goal in the 41st minute to make it 3-1 for Grenoble, but Andrius Kulbis-Marino scored his first goal for the team in the 49th minute to make it 4-1. Frederic Weigel finally put the lid on the game in the 58th minute when he hit an empty goal. With this victory, Grenoble shows that they are determined to defend their title from last season when they won the championship. On January 6th they will be on the ice in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France against Caen, where they will want to show off again.

This performance also comes in response to the 3-1 win against Angers on December 23, in which Christophe Boivin scored two goals. The changes in league position were frequent, but after these successes they are now back at the top of the Ligue Magnus, aptly named after Louis Magnus, the first president of the IIHF and a pioneer of French ice hockey. The championship has been held since 1906 and the Brûleurs de Loups are the defending champions from last season.

What happens to Gap and the others?

While Grenoble is very popular, the Rapaces de Gap were also able to achieve success. They won their game against Chamonix 5-2 and showed an impressive performance, especially in the numerical advantage, where all four of their first goals came. Finnish player Pulkkinen was in top form, scoring two goals, which could help Gap move further away from the bottom of the table. They are currently in 11th place, closely followed by Cergy in the bottom of the table.

The current Ligue Magnus season has numerous exciting encounters in store. The structure of the league is clear: the best eight teams qualify for the quarterfinal play-offs and fight for the Coupe Magnus, the highest honor in French ice hockey. A big focus is on the future games in Grenoble, which could soon face Rouen again.

Further information about the league and its teams can be found on the official website League Magnus. It will also be interesting to see how the situation will develop for the other teams while Grenoble and Gap continue to fight for the best places.