5 clubs want to join the ICE: Who has the best chances?

Even if no one in charge wants to confirm it yet, the ICE Hockey League will probably be expanded in the summer. There should not be an odd number of teams again, as there were in the last two years. Although the Bratislava Capitals joined in the summer, two clubs, Zagreb and Znojmo, have also said goodbye in the past two years.

The Czechs are now presenting the league with a challenge. Znojmo is one of those clubs that would like to play in the ICE again next season. Normally, newcomers have to deposit a sum of 150.000 euros, which is used for administrative tasks, to join. There could be an exception for Znojmo. The club decided to take a break a year ago due to the corona pandemic. There should be supporters and opponents within the league. Some don't want to pay Znojmo again, others do. Outcome of the discussion: open. Can South Tyrol tolerate two ICE clubs? HC Pustertal has also expressed interest, which is not widely known. There isn't much to be heard from Bruneck at the moment, but the club is striving to join the ICE with all its might. The club bosses have been working for months to put the club in an ideal starting position for the admission process. A whole list of requirements was processed for this purpose. The stadium construction is progressing according to plan - despite Corona. The first budget negotiations have been completed and the league is also doing well in the league's review process. In the next few days, HC Pustertal should be given official candidate status. A South Tyrolean derby in an international league that includes metropolises like Vienna and Bratislava would be something. The wolves' shortcoming: Bruneck is not a big city. There is also the simmering question of whether South Tyrol can tolerate two ice hockey clubs of this size from a financial perspective? So far, HC Bozen has been the clear number 1 in the country in all respects. This is unlikely to change much if the Wolves join the ICE team, as the people of Bolzano are also one step ahead of many ICE competitors and have strong sponsors behind them. It is no coincidence that the Foxes are one of the few teams that are stronger than last year despite Corona.

For the ice hockey fans in the country, two ice hockey clubs in the ICE Hockey League are a dream idea. A South Tyrolean derby in an international league that includes metropolises like Vienna and Bratislava would be something. Things are still burning brightly in Linz In Linz, the ice hockey rivalry has reached new dimensions and has escalated into a serious dispute. The public prosecutor's office is now investigating Christian Perthaler, the ex-manager of the Black Wings and initiator of the new EHV Linz. The allegations are serious; they amount to fraud: Perthaler is said to have defrauded his former club of over 100.000 euros. Despite all the inconsistencies, the EHV Linz is aiming to join the ICE. Last year, the Stahlstadters' application was rejected by the clubs. EHV Linz tried through the back door (they wanted the free spot in Znojmo) and were put a stop to it by the league bosses. It is questionable whether the ICE teams want to bring the Linz dispute into the league.

There are no arguments in Feldkirch and Ljubljana, but the two Alps hockey league teams have another common problem: money. The people of Vorarlberg wanted to get an investor on board years ago so that they could return to the country's premium league. That didn't work, but without funding, the ICE project in Feldkirch is in danger of failing again. Ljubljana as an ideal location The situation is similar in Ljubljana, where HK Olimpija wants to get out of the AlpsHL. The Slovenians have an important supporter for the ICE entry: the city administration. After the bankruptcy four years ago, the city helped the club several times; many politicians would see “promotion” to the ICE as a success. HCP vs HK Olimpija: Both clubs play in the AlpsHL and want to go to the ICE. © Optic Rapid / I. Foppa

The Ljubljana location is very interesting for the league, basically ideal. It's no secret that those in charge want to win over a Slovenian team - ideally the capital city club. An entry from Olimpija would close this construction site. The ICE would then host clubs from five countries (Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Slovakia).

Who is accepted into the ICE depends on another important factor. How big should the league be in the next few years? Will the traditional 12-man championship remain or will it be increased to 14 participants? The ICE clubs and officials will have to answer this question in the next few weeks. So far, the admission of new members has often failed because more teams in the league also means that the revenue cake has to be shared more often. Only if income increases will financially weak clubs like Villach or Innsbruck not defend themselves against it. Otherwise, four out of five applicants will face long faces in the next few weeks.

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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5 clubs want to join the ICE: Who has the best chances?

Once again, the ICE Hockey League does not want to start a season with an odd number of participants. That's why we're working diligently in the background to increase the number. There is no shortage of interested parties. Who holds the best trump cards? SportNews did some research.

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