Markus Spinell has ended his career. © Max Pattis

Ritten's prodigy says goodbye

In the local ice hockey scene, Markus Spinell was always considered a gifted player who perhaps even had more in store than a career with his hometown club. But "Mödde" remained loyal to his Rittner Buam SkyAlps and blossomed into one of the most successful local players on the high plateau. But now it's over: Ritten's prodigy has ended his career.

August 07, 2025

From: pm/det

At 28, Spinell is still at his prime for hockey. But time is taking its toll on him, as he himself admits. The motivation and passion he once had for the world's fastest team sport are no longer so easy to find. No one should blame him: After 564 games for the Rittner Buam first team, it's okay to run out of steam sometimes.

This makes him a member of the high plateau's select "Club 500." His numbers also speak volumes: Spinell has been listed on the scoring list 343 times in the former and new Serie A, the Alps Hockey League, the Continental Cups, and the Supercups, scoring 148 goals. With these individual achievements, the Ritten native also contributed to the team's success: As a Ritten boy, he was Italian champion five times, won the Alps Hockey League twice, the Italian Cup once, and the Italian Supercup four times.

An artist with the puck

On the ice, Spinell provided unforgettable moments. When the winger had the puck on his stick and was about to break, stopping him was a truly Herculean task. The 14-time Italian international often beat one or even several players with lightning-fast hooks and flashes of technical genius. These particularly amazed the Ritten crowd, and they too will find it difficult to say goodbye to Spinell.

A photo from August 2014: Markus Spinell as a young Ritten resident. © NIKON D3S / Max Pattis

Just like the two sports directors and good friends of Spinell, Dan Tudin and Alexander Eisath: "Mödde (Markus Spinell, editor's note) is a gifted ice hockey player, as he has proven time and again in his career. Saying goodbye to him isn't easy for us, but we have to accept his decision. We shared wonderful moments with him and celebrated great titles. We are all grateful to him for that. We wish him all the best for his future and know for sure that we will see him in the Ritten Arena one or two more times."

Three questions for Markus Spinell

Markus, why are you ending your career as a hockey player?

Spinell: "Simply put, I've run out of interest and time. As much as I enjoyed playing hockey, it's also a huge commitment that severely limits your free time and even your work. I've been saying for several years that I've lost interest. During the last season, it became especially noticeable, and I decided this would be my last year."

Spinell was extremely popular with the Rittner Buam. © Max Pattis

How do you look back on these ten years with the Rittner Buam?

Spinell: "Just good. And not just because of the titles. Sure, they were all great, all special. But I had the most fun when I could get together with my friends at training in the evenings and play hockey. We always had a lot of fun, even if we didn't win anything. I'm very grateful for that, too; it was a great time."


What's next for you? Do you have any other plans in ice hockey?

Spinell: "For now, I'm concentrating on other things, on family and leisure. But I'll still play a bit of ice hockey; it's part of my free time. Going out on the ice with friends once a week is definitely possible. And maybe someday I'll play again, but then with 'Progetti On Ice'. But I have to turn 30 first, which I'm not yet (laughs)."