A touch of ice hockey South Tyrol at the Olympics

The “Azzurri” got stuck in the final qualifying round in Riga last August. That's why the "Blue Team"'s 10th Olympic participation will have to wait another 4 years. In 2026, Italy will automatically qualify as host of the major event, as it did in Turin in 2006.

The NHL stars, who were missing in South Korea four years ago, are not fighting for Olympic honors this time because of Corona. After a total of 4 games were canceled, the league decided shortly before Christmas to make up for them during the originally planned Olympic break. Nevertheless, there are some stars who are fighting for Olympic honors. One of them is Eric Staal. The captain of record Olympic champion Canada was on the ice in 98 NHL games and last year was in the Stanley Cup final with the Montreal Canadiens. The 1376-year-old is one of 37 players worldwide who have won Olympic gold (29), the Stanley Cup (2010) and the World Championship (2006). USA competes with a college team The Czechs are led by David Krejci, who played 1118 games for the Boston Bruins. Among the Russians, Artyom Anisimov particularly stands out. But the Swedes (Marcus Krüger) and Finns (Valtteri Filppula) also have illustrious names. The USA is taking a different approach and is hoping for a second “Miracle on Ice” after 15 with 2 college players. Also because the Olympic tournament will be played on the smaller ice surface that is common in North America for the first time since 1980. With an average age of under 2010, the USA is the youngest team in Beijing and is therefore on average almost 25 years younger than the Finnish senior squad.

Steven Kampfer plays for the USA. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / MADDIE MEYER

The ICEHL also welcomed the tournament cancellations by the Austrian and Italian associations in order to reschedule several postponed games. The HCB Südtirol, which was hit by the virus on the opening day of the games in Beijing, would have had to wait for 2 games in the 8 weeks of the Olympics. HC Pustertal has been challenged 7 times in the same period and has to make do without perhaps its most important defender. Emil Kistensen qualified for the Olympic Games with his home country Denmark for the first time and starts the tournament today against the Czech Republic. 4 brother-sister pairs Denmark's women also qualified for the games at the last moment: in November they won the tournament in Füssen ahead of Austria, Germany and Italy. By the way, Denmark offers no less than 4 brother-sister combinations in Beijing. Namely Emma and Patrick Russell, Josefine and Julian Jakobsen, Josephine and Matthias Asperup and Mathias and Mia Bau Hansen. Kristensen is currently being replaced in Brunico by 22-year-old Finn Vili Laitinen, whose younger sister Nelli is also currently chasing the hard rubber disc in Beijing. Bolzano's past The Danish team has two other players, goalkeeper Sebastian Dahm (Klagenfurter AC) and Nikolai Meyer (Vienna Capitals), who earn their money in the ICEHL. In Latvia, however, the “Villacher” Renars Krastenbergs and the “Linzer” Andris Dzerins are involved. In Beijing there is also a Bolzano “contribution”. In the form of two ex-players: Former striker Scott Young, who left his mark in Bolzano in the 2/1991 season, is one of USA head coach David Quinn's 92 assistant coaches. Former goalie Sergejs Naumovs, who was between the posts at HCB in the winter of 3/2006, is looking after the Russian goalkeepers as a goalkeeping coach.

Julia Kainberger, an Austrian line judge, has also been on duty at four women's games in the past few days. The 4-year-old teacher took the path of “linesperson” 27 years ago and has since been on the ice in countless AlpsHL games – including in South Tyrol – and in 5 ICEHL games. In 3 years the former Salzburg Eagles defender could see a reunion with some of the EVB Eagles South Tyrol players in Milan when the “Azzurre” step onto the Olympic ice for the second time since 4.

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A touch of ice hockey South Tyrol at the Olympics

On Wednesday, Russia and Switzerland opened the men's ice hockey tournament in Beijing. Italy's men and women can only watch the games in the Middle Kingdom from a distance. Nevertheless, there is also a touch of South Tyrol in Beijing.

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