Julian Kostner (right) says goodbye. © Max Pattis

A true Rittner Bua says Servus

When the season really gets started on September 21st with the first Alps Hockey League game, one player from the Rittner Buam SkyAlps will only be sitting in the stands.

September 10, 2024

From: pm

We're talking about Julian Kostner: Number 15 has hung up his skates after 12 turbulent years and an incredible 601 games on the high plateau.

With his 601 games, Julian Kostner has long been a member of the "Club 500" on the Ritten, which is why his jersey hangs prominently on the wall in the stadium bar of the Ritten Arena. In these 601 games, the attacker contributed 250 points (97 goals). "But these numbers were never that important to me," he says modestly. It is immediately apparent that the Rittner Buam are not only his hometown club, but also a matter close to his heart: "It was always my goal to play in the first team. What you have achieved in recent years only becomes apparent in retrospect. It was always a pleasure and a source of pride for me to play for the Rittner Buam. They were really great years," he looks back.

Kostner made his first appearances in the 2012/13 season, and from the following season he was a permanent member of the Rittner Buam. Two of his best ice hockey moments also come from the 2013/14 season: "Firstly, the U20 championship title that we won in Bruneck. I played in the U20 with my best friends, and celebrating this title together is something I will never forget. But I will also always remember the very first championship title with the first team in the 2013/2014 season."

Ending your career at the right moment

Kostner was also able to celebrate two titles last season, with the Rittner Buam SkyAlps first becoming Italian champions and then Alps Hockey League champions. "I would have ended my career even without these successes, but the fact that it turned out like this was the icing on the cake. I announced before the season that this would be my last year. I'm happy about that. Firstly, I want to give my family and my work more time, and secondly, it was always important to me to know when it was over. I wouldn't have wanted someone to say to me at some point: 'Look, it would be better if you stopped.' I wanted to decide that moment myself," says the 31-year-old, who is one of three managing directors at Metall Ritten. The fourth game of the AlpsHL final series against Cortina also falls into the "unforgettable" category for him: "It was my last game, we won the title and I scored a goal. That's something special."

Julian Kostner played on the Ritten for 12 years. © Max Pattis

But there were not only moments of joy in these 12 years on the Ritten, as Kostner also knows: "We played for many titles, won many, but also lost some. When it went to the seventh game in a final series and we lost, then that was very bitter. Accepting these defeats was never easy. Just like the moments when you knew that you had to expect more from yourself because of the squad constellation. If the team is good, you play well yourself. If not, then it was clear to me that I had to invest even more. That is not easy," says Kostner.

Two special boys as best teammates

When asked who his best coach was, Kostner doesn't have to think long: "It was Rob Wilson." The Canadian, who trained on the Ritten from 2012 to 2014, brought him into the first team and thus opened the door to senior hockey for him. But the 31-year-old hesitates when asked who his best teammate was. "Phew... I definitely played best with Alex Frei and Markus Spinell. I was usually on the line with them, and they are also good friends of mine. Yes, I consider them to be my best teammates," he grins.

Julian Kostner in the 2013/14 season. © NIKON D3S / Max Pattis

Now Kostner has had enough of ice hockey for the time being: "At the moment I have other things on my mind. But at some point I can well imagine being involved in the club in a different way. Coach? Certainly not with the big guys, but going out on the ice with the little ones, yes, maybe. But now I'm looking forward to spending time together with my wife Sophia (married in May 2023) and my little daughter Laura (born in February 2024). But I can promise one thing: I'll be in the stands at the home games in the Ritten Arena. I am and will remain a big ice hockey fan and a Ritten boy," Kostner concludes.