ICE Hockey League 2020-2021 (Klagenfurt wins championship)

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
An Austrian newspaper reports that EC RB Salzburg is trying to sign Michael Raffl of the Philadelphia Flyers until the start of the new NHL season.
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
League got under way yesterday with the following games:

Klagenfurt – Linz 1-4
Salzburg – Villach 6-1
Graz – Fehervar 6-4
Innsbruck – Dornbirn 4-1

Another game, Bratislava vs Bolzano, was cancelled because several players of Bolzano have tested positive for Covid19. Fehervar also has several Covid cases but played with a skelelton roster regardless.
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Edmonton Oilers prospect Cooper Marody is suspected to have a concussion after a check by Deven Sideroff in his first game in Austria. He already suffered a concussion last years that messed up his 2019-20 season.

Games scheduled today:

Bratislava vs Vienna
First game for both teams. Vienna has lost some depth, but their core is still decent and they should be in the mix for a spot in the top 5. Bratislava are the new and unknown team in the league.

Dornbirn vs Klagenfurt
KAC too lost some depth, but still has a good core. In their first game they looked like they're still in the offseason though. Dornbirn is lacking rhythm and system as they only recently added several players to their roster. A good chance for Klagenfurt to make up for the opening loss.

Linz vs Graz
Despite some financial worries, Linz looked really good against Klagenfurt, new coach Pierre Beaulieu seems to have his team set up well. Graz won a high-scoring game against a weak Fehervar roster, but lack balance: they have very good forward depth but little in defence. They will struggle to keep Linz (and many other teams) from scoring.

Villach vs Innsbruck
Despite adding more depth to an already decent roster, Villach weren't dialed in against Salzburg. New goaltender Tyler Beskorowany didn't look fit and will move to the bench. Innsbruck are cash-strapped and have one of the cheapest rosters, but got solid goaltending from Tom McCollum against Dornbirn.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rigafan

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
21,796
17,866
Edmonton Oilers prospect Cooper Marody is suspected to have a concussion after a check by Deven Sideroff in his first game in Austria. He already suffered a concussion last years that messed up his 2019-20 season.

Games scheduled today:

Bratislava vs Vienna
First game for both teams. Vienna has lost some depth, but their core is still decent and they should be in the mix for a spot in the top 5. Bratislava are the new and unknown team in the league.

Dornbirn vs Klagenfurt
KAC too lost some depth, but still has a good core. In their first game they looked like they're still in the offseason though. Dornbirn is lacking rhythm and system as they only recently added several players to their roster. A good chance for Klagenfurt to make up for the opening loss.

Linz vs Graz
Despite some financial worries, Linz looked really good against Klagenfurt, new coach Pierre Beaulieu seems to have his team set up well. Graz won a high-scoring game against a weak Fehervar roster, but lack balance: they have very good forward depth but little in defence. They will struggle to keep Linz (and many other teams) from scoring.

Villach vs Innsbruck
Despite adding more depth to an already decent roster, Villach weren't dialed in against Salzburg. New goaltender Tyler Beskorowany didn't look fit and will move to the bench. Innsbruck are cash-strapped and have one of the cheapest rosters, but got solid goaltending from Tom McCollum against Dornbirn.
That's awful about Benson.. Oil really need him to make the team as he's on a ELC and we need some depth.

I'm out of the loop.. why is Bratislava in the Austrian League?
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
That's awful about Benson.. Oil really need him to make the team as he's on a ELC and we need some depth.

I'm out of the loop.. why is Bratislava in the Austrian League?

Cooper Marody, not Tyler Benson.

Bratislava Capitals are in the Austrian league because Slovan Bratislava dropped out of the KHL and now occupy the spot in the Slovak league Capitals had hoped for. Plus, the owner of Bratislava Capitals has business interests in Austria and wants to promote his company there.
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Games yesterday:

Bratislava vs Vienna 2-7
In the Capitals encounter, Bratislava were subject to a thrashing at the hands of Vienna. They were overwhelmed defensively and not much of a scoring threat either. One can only hope this is not a sign for things to come. New Vienna player Colin Campbell had a four-point game (3+1). Both Bratislava goals were scored by Mitch Hults.

Dornbirn vs Klagenfurt 1-3
KAC were underwhelming again, yet edged out (the last goal was EN) a win over a Dornbirn team that is still far from fine-tuned (zero goals on six PP opportunities). At even strenght, only Klagenfurt's first line managed to create something. Defensively the team looks shaky, but Dornbirn's scoring chances were denied by goaltender Sebastian Dahm. Klagenfurt coach Petri Matikainen has his work cut for him. Dornbirn on their part should get better step by step now.

Linz vs Graz 2-0
Both teams were on par and the game was very close (second goal was EN). The difference was made by Linz goaltender David Kickert and the first line of Brian Lebler and Dragan Umicevic (both with 5 scoring points after two games), now centered by Juha-Pekka Hytönen (instead of Rick Schofield).

Villach vs Innsbruck 3-4
VSV with a weak performance again (in particular on defence), allowing a hard-working Innsbruck team to cruise to a 4-1 lead. In the last period Villach finally found their gear, but two unanswered goals weren't enough to turn the game around. On the Innsbruck side, disciplinary issues are a concern.
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Edmonton Oilers prospect Cooper Marody is suspected to have a concussion after a check by Deven Sideroff in his first game in Austria. He already suffered a concussion last years that messed up his 2019-20 season.

Update: Marody is returning to Canada to nurse his injury there. It hasn't been disclosed whether he indeed has a concussion and whether he's supposed to return to Dornbirn later on.

 
Last edited:

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Games scheduled today:

Vienna – Linz (19:15 CET, 13:15 EST)
Both teams have looked good last week (Vienna one game, Linz two games). For Vienna this will be the first real test in the league. Linz already had theirs, but Vienna looks like a more balanced opponent than Graz last Sunday. Brett Flemming should play his first game for the Capitals.

Fehervar – Klagenfurt (19:15 CET, 13:15 EST) Livestream (8 Euro)
Klagenfurt didn't look good so far and will struggle to keep a clean sheet against Fehervar with their scoring prowess. However, the Hungarian club is defensively vulnerable too and might still have to play with a reduced roster due to Covid cases.

Graz – Dornbirn (19:15 CET, 13:15 EST) Live stream (8.50 Euro)
Michael Rasmussen is supposed to make his debut for a home team has a lot of firepower but lacks defensive depth. Dornbirn on their part are work in progress and have struggled to score so far, so a win for Graz is the most likely prediction. A note on the goaltenders: Thomas Höneckl could get the start in goal against his former team Graz since Oskar Östlund hasn't looked convincing. On the other side Ben Bowns will be in net again.

Bolzano – Innsbruck (19:45 CET, 13:45 EST)
On paper Bolzano have the strongest roster in the league, but their games last week had to be posponed due to Covid cases. The team has been cleared to play now even though six players remain under quarantine. A rocky start wouldn't be a surprise in light of the absences and the involuntary break. Innsbruck looked decent in their first two games, but they lack depth and one of their two scoring line centers is suspended this week.
 
Last edited:

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Salzburg has signed a replacement for their injured back-up goaltender Lukas Herzog.

 
Last edited:

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Games yesterday:

Vienna – Linz 5-3
The home team (not yet with Brett Flemming) had the better of the game and at times looked dominant, but Linz was kept in the game by the high-scoring duo of Lebler (2 goals) & Umicevic. In the end the visitors ran out of steam and Vienna claimed a deserved victory. Colin Campbell had his second four-point game (2+2) in a row for the Capitals!

Fehervar – Klagenfurt 1-4
Another meh-ish performance by Klagenfurt, this time against a Fehervar squad reduced to 14 skaters. The Hungarians had their chances, all but one were denied by KAC goaltender Dahm though. He and Nick Petersen were the difference makers again: after picking up 2 points in a 3-goal-win over Dornbirn last week, Petersen netted all four goals this time! Klagenfurt got better as the game went on.

Graz – Dornbirn 1-2
A terrible game for Graz all around. Despite being one of the deepest offensive teams in the league, they struggled to create much and were upset by a Dornbirn team that is still not a big scoring threat but at least works well defensively now. Graz also lost goaltender Ben Bowns early on and he will be out with a long-term injury. Graz is looking for a new goaltender now.

Bolzano – Innsbruck 6-1
Despite not playing last week, Bolzano didn't mess around. They killed Innsbruck on the powerplay in the first two periods (3 goals on 4 opportunities) to cruise to a 4-1 lead and added two more goals in the last period. Even if Bolzano could only ice 15 skaters, their quality advantage proved too much to overcome. Innsbruck won't be the last team to get wacked by them.

Game today:

Salzburg – Bratislava (19:15 CET, 13:15 EST)
The Red Bulls look sharp in their game last week and are one of the three best teams in the league right now (together with Vienna and Bolzano). Bratislava were overwhelmed by Vienna and there is little reason why it shouldn't be the same against Salzburg. Anything but a clear win by Salzburg would be a surprise. A free livestream of the game will be available via the website of the home team. Link.
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Villach has terminated the contract with Tyler Beskorowany. Apparently an old injury has became acute again. Now both Villach and Graz (Ben Bowns picked up a knee injury against Dornbirn) are looking for new goaltenders.

As mentioned, Cooper Marody has returned to Canada. He's supposed to undergo medical examination tomorrow. Afterwards it will be decided whether he returns to Dornbirn or not.
 
Last edited:

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Game yesterday:

Salzburg vs Bratislava 5-1
Bratislava showed improvement and outchecked and outworked Salzburg in the first period. In the second and third, they killed their own game with a steady parade to the penalty box. The Capitals picked up 12 minor penalties, gifted Salzburg several 5-v-3 powerplays and on two occasions added insult to injury with scrambled penalties. This allowed Salzburg to turn a 1-1- into a 5-1.

Games today:

Linz vs Villach (16:30 CET, 10:30 EST)
Villach had a subpar start into the season. Linz has picked up points but their goaltender David Kickert has publicly critizised his team after the recent defeat for not skating enough and for being lucky to have won the first two games. The team is heavily depending on the top line to score.
Livestream (free): link

Vienna vs Fehervar (17:30 CET, 11:30 EST)
The home team has looked good so far. Fehervar is defensively porous and still plays with a reduced roster, so they'll have a hard time keeping Vienna from scoring.
Livestream (€ 6,90): link

Dornbirn vs Bolzano (17:30 CET, 11:30 EST)
Bolzano started the season in style, but still have a reduced roster. Dornbirn looks defensively decent and isn't likely to role over. Could be a tight game with Bolzano favoured to win.
Livestream (€7,50): link

Innsbruck vs Bratislava (17:30 CET, 11:30 EST)
After two defeats in two games Bratislava will be eager to collect points. On the Innsbruck side, Dario Winkler will have a chance in the spotlight as the second-line center. Both teams have recently showed disciplinary shortcomings. Everything seems possible here.

Klagenfurt vs Graz (17:30 CET, 11:30 EST)
Both teams with injury woes: Graz goaltender Bowns is out indefinitely and on the other side the Klagenfurt defencemen keep on picking up injuries (Fischer, Strong, Unterweger, Kraus, Maier). A chance for Kele Steffler to prove himself?
 
Last edited:

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Day of the backup goaltenders: Villach (Schmidt) and Graz (Nussbacher) have to play their #2s right now and Vienna (Wranschitz) and Innsbruck (Swette) decided to give theirs a shot.

Linz vs Villach 2-3
VSV looked like a completely different team than before and outplayed Linz soundly to rack up a 3-0 lead. The score should actually have been higher. In the second period, Linz bounced back and made it 3-2, but didn't score a third. Overall a deserved victory for Villach. Linz looked rather flat again and, as mentioned before, are way too dependant on their top line: Lebler and Umicevic have been involved in 9 out of the 11 goals the Black Wings have scored.

Vienna vs Fehervar 4-5 SO
A little upset in this game. Vienna (first game for Brett Flemming) outplayed and outshot Fehervar, but hurt themselves with too many penalties and Fehervar took advantage. After 60+5 minutes the game was tied 4-4 and Fehervar won the shootout.

Dornbirn vs Bolzano 2-3
The predicted close game. Bolzano, still missing several key players, edged out a Dornbirn team that has much improved since last week and is rumoured to announce one or two new signings very soon.

Innsbruck vs Bratislava 2-3 SO
Underwhelming performance by both teams. Bratislava Capitals won the shootout for their first win in the new league. Innsbruck will be happy to get their first-line center back next week.

Klagenfurt vs Graz 0-2
Once again KAC didn't manage to do much offensively. Graz has improved defensively from shaky showings in the preseason and the first league game.

Standings:
1. Vienna Capitals / 7 points in 3 games (2.33 per game) / GD +6
2. HC Innsbruck / 7 points in 4 games (1.75 per game) / GD -1
3. EC Salzburg / 6 points in 2 games (3.0 per game) / GD +9
4. HC Bolzano / 6 points in 2 games (3.0 per game) / GD +6
5. Black Wings Linz / 6 points in 4 games (1.5 per game) / GD +2
6. Graz 99ers / 6 points in 4 games (1.5 per game) / GD +1
7. Klagenfurter AC / 6 points in 4 games (1.5 per game) / GD 0
8. Villacher SV / 3 points in 3 games (1.0 per game) / GD -5
9. Fehervar AV 19 / 2 points in 3 games (0.66 per game) / GD -4
10. Bratislava Capitals / 2 points in 3 games (0.66 per game) / GD -9

(Actual GD without shootouts.)

Goals:
1. Colin Campbell, Vienna / 6 goals (in 3 games)
2. Brian Lebler, Linz / 5 goals (in 4 games)
= Nick Petersen, Klagenfurt / 5 goals (in 4 games)
4. Alexander Rauchenwald, Salzburg / 3 goals (in 2 games)
5. Toni Kähkönen, Fehervar / 3 goals (in 3 games)
= Mitch Hults, Bratislava / 3 goals (in 3 games)

Assists:
1. Dragan Umicevic, Linz / 6 assists (in 4 games)
2. Travis Oleksuk, Graz / 5 assists (in 4 games)
= Juha-Pekka Hytönen, Linz / 5 assists (in 4 games)
4. Alex Wall, Vienna / 4 assists (in 3 games)
= Rafael Rotter, Vienna / 4 assists (in 3 games)
= Jerome Leduc, Vienna / 4 assists (in 3 games)
 
Last edited:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->