Daniel Fank is the player with the fourth-most appearances in Bolzano club history. © ICEHL

Daniel Frank has to leave: A legend departs Bolzano

Daniel Frank is the most hotly debated figure in ice hockey this summer. But now it's official: The longest-serving, most successful player, and team captain of HC Bozen is leaving the team. We summarize the background and reactions.

July 17, 2026

From: fop

It was the summer of 2013 when Daniel Frank, then only 19 years old, met managing director Dieter Knoll in his ice cream parlor in Merano and asked him if there was a spot on the team for a young player who had previously been trained at the Red Bull Academy, played in Germany and for the Merano Eagles, and gained initial experience in the junior national teams. It was the beginning of something big.

Frank joined HC Bozen when they moved to the ICE Hockey League, then known as the EBEL, 13 years ago. Since then, he has played continuously for his beloved club. He is the only player on the current roster to have won two championships with the Foxes (2014 and 2018). But that's not all: He has amassed 715 appearances and 166 points – placing him fourth on the all-time HCB list behind club legends like Martin Pavlu (more than 930 games), Alexander Egger (892), and Anton Bernard (737).

Daniel Frank in 2018 in front of his ice cream parlor as a newly crowned two-time EBEL champion. © SN

Frank is one of the last great fan favorites at Italy's most successful ice hockey club. His loyalty to the club, his fighting spirit, his willingness to sacrifice, and his passion made him a fan hero and, for years, a key player. For the past four seasons, the Merano native led HC Bern onto the ice as captain. However, Frank also had to endure difficult periods: a missed scoring opportunity near the end of the dramatic seventh final game against Salzburg in 2023, and half a dozen serious concussions, the last one in the spring of 2025. Since then, the forward has not been able to regain his former strength.

13 years, 715 games, 2 titles

The former captain of the Italian national team (92 international matches) was no longer undisputed at HC Bozen recently, but he still wanted to – as he revealed in a SportNews interview after the end of the season – to prove his old class once again. But Daniel Frank as a potential squad player? That didn't fit the club's plans – and probably not Frank himself either. Thus, his departure has been sealed since Friday morning.

"I came as a young lad with a dream. I was fortunate enough to experience the great privilege of living that dream." Daniel frank

With the Frank situation resolved, HC Bozen's 13-man offensive lineup is now complete. What the future holds for the long-time captain himself remains to be seen. He has since sold his ice cream parlor, where he once offered his services to Dieter Knoll, and has reoriented his career. His love for HC Bozen, however, is likely to endure. It's the club where Daniel Frank fulfilled his dreams and rose to legendary status.