Simon Pitschieler (right) with his fiancée Anna and presenter Stefano De Martino. © Private

Hunt for TV jackpot: Bitter end for ice hockey star

In the winter, he glides across the ice at high speed in the HC Gherdëina uniform. On Thursday evening, Simon Pitschieler was seen on a completely different stage: The 27-year-old competed for the big jackpot on a popular Italian TV show.

24 April 2025

From: sn

Your business was first broadcast on Italian TV in 2003. Since then, the show has gained such popularity that it is broadcast daily during prime time on RAI 1. Pitschieler, who told us his story, was secretly registered by his fiancée Anna – and chosen from hundreds of competitors. On Thursday, the couple finally tied the knot in May.

At the beginning of the show, the contestant chooses one of 20 locked boxes containing amounts of money ranging from a few cents to several hundred thousand euros. By opening the remaining boxes and negotiating with the mysterious "Dottore," they try to win as much money as possible, without knowing how much money is actually in their own box.

No happy ending

Pitschieler had the right instinct for a long time during the show. The 27-year-old from Pufels was finally able to choose between two packages worth 50.000 and 5.000 euros, respectively. But luck wasn't on the side of the Val Gardena native and his fiancée. The dream of a big jackpot, which would have significantly boosted their wedding fund, was dashed.

Simon Pitschieler in his natural habitat. © Studio Kostner

The captain of HC Gherdëina, who has also chased the puck for the Wipptal Broncos and HC Bozen in the past, demonstrated sportsmanship in the studio in Rome. "We're taking risks, and if we actually lose, then we'll accept the defeat," the couple said. Now a new chapter in their lives will soon begin – far away from the TV cameras and media hype.