The Champions Hockey League has not gone as planned for the Foxes so far. © HCB

HCB boss stands in front of his team: “It’s my responsibility”

Although HCB Südtirol Alperia has won six of its eight test games, sometimes desolate performances in the Champions Hockey League are raising alarm bells in Bolzano. Immediately before the start of the league, everyone is under special observation! Namely that of club boss Dieter Knoll.

September 13, 2023

The euphoria that accompanied HC Bozen last season until the last minutes of the seventh and very last final game against the eventual champions from Salzburg has evaporated. A disappointing summer followed, which even the... clear win against Val Gardena on Tuesday cannot be disguised at the end of the preseason. “There’s nothing to sugarcoat,” says Dieter Knoll.

First and foremost, the managing director and sports director means the four bankruptcies and the last place in the Champions Hockey League. These appearances showed the HCB management several construction sites that Knoll was responsible for here SportNews-Reader deals with the usual blunt choice of words.

The trainer: “I have to say straight away: all coaching rumors are absolute nonsense! It's not true that we're keeping Glen Hanlon on the back burner. I currently have no contact with him. The intention is to play the entire season with Niklas Sundblad, that much is certain. I have spoken to the players and they are behind the coach. However, the same applies to the coach as it does to the players: they have to deliver in the next few weeks and months.”

“Coach rumors are absolute nonsense!” Dieter Knoll

The goalkeeper: “Niklas Svedberg had a poor performance against Belfast, the games before that were okay. He hasn't had consistent playing practice over the past year and a half, so he still needs to find his rhythm. He gets this time with us – because we are convinced that he is a goalkeeper of absolute caliber. I feel like I've been transported back twelve months in this debate, when there were many doubters about Sam Harvey, but he then gave the lie to all his critics."

The defense: “I don't like it at all so far. I'm neither happy with the individual players nor how they are positioned on the ice. We brought in a player from Switzerland (Teves,Note:) and two from the DEL (Parlett, Vandane), these guys are really good ice hockey players. But they have to find their role on the ice. The remaining defenders are currently still far from their top level.”

The offensive: “The interaction here is not yet right. Players like Lucas Lessio have already shown their class, but they don't yet really work in Sundblad's system. However, they are rarely presented really well. And this is where Connor Ford comes into play, who has to prove his suitability for the first line in the coming weeks.”

Connor Ford should better present his offensive partners. © HCB

The game system: “The style of play with the compact defense, the narrow backward movement and the quick switching is well received by the team. However, it has to be completely internalized; the individual cogs don't yet work. In order to properly rehearse the processes, we now need a clear rhythm between training and games. The power play also needs to be improved, no question about it.”

The discipline: “Of course we took too many penalties in some games. But now I have to stand up for my players: These are guys who play really hard, but all have good personalities. If one of our players is injured in an unsportsmanlike manner in a friendly, they defend themselves - that's how it is in ice hockey. They also don't give in against better and physically superior opponents. In the future, in the run-up to so-called friendly games, we will make sure to reduce the risk of injury and hardship in consultation with the opposing teams.”

“Of course I noticed how exhausted the players were.” Dieter Knoll

Fitness: “Of course I noticed how exhausted some of the players were. Sundblad's hockey philosophy is based on hard work, endurance and speed. In order to be able to implement this, a correspondingly strenuous preparation is required. The players are now clearly working on their fitness training, but this will benefit us as the season progresses.”

The many test games: “This is a construction site that I will reopen next summer. Because we have to do it differently. The players' fatigue is only partly due to the intensive training, but rather it is due to this strict test match program. I tried to satisfy all of our partners who had asked for guest appearances from HC Bozen. Together with the CHL games, we ended up with twelve games in less than four weeks - that's clearly too much. The whole thing is on me.”

The start with 2 games in 24 hours: “Innsbruck on Friday is a really unpleasant opponent with its fast-paced game, then there is no time to catch your breath and Fehervar is just around the corner in the ice wave. The weekend is going to be really hard. Nevertheless, from now on everyone is under observation!”