“Stay wild forever, my friend.”

The early death of Leo Insam shocked the South Tyrolean ice hockey world. There is also great sadness beyond the country's borders.

June 26, 2023

From: sn

Leo Insam died on Saturday at the age of just 48. This news caused great consternation in the South Tyrolean sports world. Insam was considered one of the best defenders that local ice hockey has ever had. Numerous companions were deeply affected after the man from Gardena's death.

“What terrible news. Leo, you were an extraordinary talent and a great champion,” said former HC Bozen captain Robert Oberrauch. “I had the honor of playing my last games with him at the World Championships in Zurich. He was an exceptional player and teammate. A big hug, my friend.”

He has won the hearts of fans

Leo Insam was a mainstay in the national team for many years, and in 1994 he was allowed to go to the Olympic Games at the tender age of 19. Four years later he also received Olympic honors. “With his style of play and his personality, he has won his way into the hearts of the fans,” wrote Italy’s ice hockey association.

“Leo was a wonderful teammate and a wonderful person.” Jamie Schaafsma, former Val Gardena player

Numerous expressions of condolence also came from Insam's home valley of Val Gardena. “Stay wild forever, my friend,” wrote Fabrizio Senoner, who captained the Furies after Insam’s retirement and was a very close friend of the deceased. "What a tragedy. My greatest condolences to his family and to HC Gröden. Leo, it was an honor to have played with you,” explained Canadian Karl Fournier, who played with Insam at HC Gröden. Jamie Schaafsma, also a teammate of Insam during his time in Gardena, said: “Leo was a wonderful teammate and a wonderful person.”

There is also mourning abroad

During his career, Insam also successfully ventured abroad. He played in the DEL near Düsseldorf, in the WCHL in the USA and also at Klagenfurt in Austria. The KAC wrote on social media: “Leo Insam made his first exclamation mark in the red and white jersey in the Carinthian derby on September 20, 1996, when he scored with the score at 1:5 and thus initiated the KAC comeback, which ended with was rewarded with one point (final score: 5:5). During his engagement at Wörthersee, the defender particularly impressed with his straightforward, reliable play in his own zone, which earned him a DEL contract in Düsseldorf after his season in red and white.

You can light a candle for the deceased on trauer.bz.

Schlagwörter: Hockey Leo Insam Tod