ICE Hockey League 2021-2022 (Salzburg wins championship)

[Theokritos]

The 2021 playoffs are still ongoing, but a few questions for the upcoming 2021-2022 are already being settled. New participants next season: HC Orli Znojmo (Czechia), HK Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia), HC Pustertal/Bruneck (Italy). See attachment for a map with all the clubs registered for 2021-22.

After a great season with a very disappointing finish, Fehervar has already managed to re-sign several core players: Forwards Alex Petan, Anze Kuralt and Toni Kähkönen as well as defencemen Tim Campbell and Paul Geiger.

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[filip85]

Do you have any info on Alps league for next season ? Which clubs will replace Olimpija and Brunico ?

 

[Theokritos]

Do you have any info on Alps league for next season ? Which clubs will replace Olimpija and Brunico ?

No decisions yet, everything is up in the air. Jesenice is proposing a league expansion and two separate tiers with promotion and relegation, but it's anybody's guess whether other clubs will support this idea. On the one hand, it would make the league more competitive and enable smaller clubs to join the second tier. On the other hand, relegation could rob some teams of regional derbies they consider important for public exposure and attendance.

 

[filip85]

No decisions yet, everything is up in the air. Jesenice is proposing a league expansion and two separate tiers with promotion and relegation, but it's anybody's guess whether other clubs will support this idea. On the one hand, it would make the league more competitive and enable smaller clubs to join the second tier. On the other hand, relegation could rob some teams of regional derbies they consider important for public exposure and attendance.

And who potential expansion teams would be ? 2nd tier ? That should be IHL teams...if that's true I dont know if IHL team(s) in case of promotion have enough financial potential to be anything more than cannon fodder in Alps 1st tier.

 

[Theokritos]

And who potential expansion teams would be ? 2nd tier ? That should be IHL teams...

Probably, but also smaller clubs from Slovenia and Austria. Jesenice also suggested more U20 teams could take part (the ones of Salzburg and Klagenfurt already do).

if that's true I dont know if IHL team(s) in case of promotion have enough financial potential to be anything more than cannon fodder in Alps 1st tier.

Those teams would rarely earn promotion from Alps 2nd tier in the first place.

 

[KTl]

Do you have any info on Alps league for next season ? Which clubs will replace Olimpija and Brunico ?

Zell am See is planing to rejoin AlpsHL. Triglav wants to go to Alps in the long run, but I guess not for next season.

 

[Theokritos]

Impressions from the new arena in Bruneck/Brunico that is being built right now:



In (South Tyrolean) German with Italian subtitles.

 

[Theokritos]

Very surprising move by Fehervar:

 

[Theokritos]

Innsbruck with some early moves:

 

[Theokritos]

 

[Theokritos]

Salzburg is making significant moves now after their disappointing 2020-21 season. After a season in Switzerland (Biel/Bienna) and one in Czechia (Kometa Brno), former Vienna Capitals forward Peter Schneider is returning to Austria:

 

[Theokritos]

 

[Theokritos]

Some recent signings:

 

[Theokritos]

Latest signings:




Is Vienna in trouble? They're struggling to re-sign players they'd like to re-sign. Speculation says that more than one player isn't on good terms with the club management.

 

[Theokritos]

Is Vienna in trouble? They're struggling to re-sign players they'd like to re-sign. Speculation says that more than one player isn't on good terms with the club management.

Another example (and at the same time also one that Salzburg seems determined to improve):

 

[HungryFrank]

refreshing to see new teams in the league. I've heard Vienna isn't really giving players raises, but is it lack of founds or are they simply low-balling them, that's hard to say.

I don't like what I see from Graz until now.
Cooperation with Capitals AHL team is a good plan, most certainly is a cooperation a way better concept than Linz: going in and losing 99% of matches 3 years in a row.
I'm glad they signed Nussbacher and Schiechl, I'll give Kernberger benefit of the doubt, but Altmann and Ograjensek are really unimpressive (to say the least), the fact that Zusevics got a contract with an EBEL team is unbelievable...
the biggest disappointment of them all was the story how Cameranesi's agent didn't allow him to sign in Graz and forced him to sign in Slovakia. Cheap excuse by the GM...

Anyway, it doesn't look good, but we'll see I guess...

 

[Theokritos]

Third player Vienna loses to Salzburg and also the third Austrian player they lose (after Wukovits to Salzburg and Richter to Villach):

 

[Theokritos]

 

[Theokritos]

Slovak league teams seem to like players from financially limited Western Austrian clubs: Slovan Bratislava has signed a trio of Dornbirn players (Andrew Yogan, William Rapuzzi, Matt MacKenzie) and Košice has come to terms with two Innsbruck defencemen (Kevin Tansey, Colton Saucerman). Now Innsbruck was always going to have to rebuild their roster due to their monetary woes and in fact it's a surprise they were actually able to re-sign their top scorer Daniel Ciampini, but Dornbirn fans will not be happy to start all over again after a very respectable season.

EDIT: Ciampini re-signed, but had an out-clause in his contract and is now gone.

 

[SoundAndFury]

It's actually pretty surprising, I'd think Slovan is the only team that can really afford good IceHL players and after the failure of the season by their standards they have even more money to burn on the top-end guys. But the guys Kosice signed are solid as well so it's somewhat counter-intuitive to think Slovak teams actually outwrestle Austrian ones financially.

 

[Theokritos]

Do you have any info on Alps league for next season ? Which clubs will replace Olimpija and Brunico ?

Update on the Alps Hockey League:

 

[Theokritos]

Update on signings (part 1/3):

 

[Theokritos]

Update on signings (part 2/3):

 

[Theokritos]

Update on signings (part 3/3):

 

[Theokritos]

Big news for Klagenfurt: They have re-signed Paul Postma (D). The reigning champion can be expected to be one of the top competitors in the upcoming season again.

Other news:
Innsbruck signed Tim McGauley (C) from Stjernen (Norway).
Raphael Wolf (D) returns from Villach to Linz.
Olimpija Ljubljana will be coached by Mitja Sivic who was in charge of their rival Jesenice last season.