A serious foul occurred in the Tyrolean derby between the state capitals of Innsbruck and Bolzano. © Vanna Antonello

Innsbruck furious after HCB foul: "Expect consequences"

The Innsbruck Sharks will have to do without their top scorer for the rest of the season. He suffered a serious injury during a foul in the Tyrolean derby against HCB Südtirol Alperia.

02 December 2025

From: apa/sn

Canadian Steven Owre suffered a serious knee injury during the game against HC Bozen following a foul by Shane Gersich, as the North Tyroleans announced on Tuesday, also voicing criticism.

From the club's perspective, the player's safety was not taken seriously enough. "HCI accepts the sporting reality but expects clear answers and consequences," they stated. However, the truth is also that Innsbruck received 28 penalty minutes in their game against Bolzano, while the Foxes only received six.

HC Innsbruck: "This is damaging to the entire league"

"The protection of players – especially against attacks on the knee and head – must not remain mere lip service. If repeated, clearly risky actions go unpunished, it harms not only one club, but the entire league and its credibility," explained the Innsbruck team. Incidentally, the referee was none other than Manuel Nikolic, a native of North Tyrol.

A dangerous open-ice hit on the 2024 league MVP in the Klagenfurt game had already gone unpunished. The subsequent attack targeting the knee in the following game against Bolzano was only penalized with a two-minute penalty.