Daniel Frank and his teammates repeatedly left the ice with their heads down. © Vanna Antonello

Daniel Frank warns his fellow citizens of Bolzano: "I'm hearing alarm bells."

HC Bozen has been staggering through the ICE Hockey League for weeks – now the captain is speaking out! Daniel Frank takes the Foxes to task with some pointed words, but at the same time, he also points the finger at himself. Here he tells readers about the heated exchanges in the Bozen locker room.

25 November 2025

The mood in South Tyrol's major ice hockey strongholds could not be more different: While the buoyant HC Falkensteiner Pustertal is fighting for the top spot in the standings in the top game in Laibach on Wednesday, the situation at HCB Südtirol Alperia is extremely tense.

The title contender from the state capital has suffered a whopping five defeats in their last seven matches. This makes it clear: Wednesday's game in Linz and the home matches this weekend against Innsbruck and Vienna are crucial – not just for coach Kurt Kleinendorst. Daniel Frank knows this too, and in the following interview, he and his teammates take responsibility for their performance.


Daniel Frank, should the ice hockey fans in Bolzano be worried?

"This team has so much potential that I can say with conviction: if we perform at our absolute best for 60 minutes, we'll beat any opponent. I can reassure everyone on that point. However, I'm not a dreamer. I can hear the alarm bells ringing. We've fallen into a slump. The only way out of this is for everyone to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if they're truly giving their all. Every single person needs to pull themselves together. If we manage that, we'll emerge from this phase stronger. Then I won't have any worries about achieving our season goals."

"Everyone needs to stand in front of the mirror and ask themselves if they are really giving their all." Daniel frank

They say everyone should ask themselves if they're truly giving their all. Do you have any doubts?

"Everyone on this team wants to win, everyone's giving it their all. That's beyond question. But by giving it their all, I don't just mean going out on the ice to run over six opponents and skate their lungs out. It's also about implementing the game plan, being fully focused on every shift, doing the simple things right, and supporting the system. If everyone did their job flawlessly for 60 minutes, we wouldn't fall apart like we have recently."


Do you also direct this criticism at yourself?

“Yes, of course. I am absolutely not satisfied with my performance. I – just like all my teammates – need to step it up a notch.”


Have you, as captain, raised your voice at any point in recent weeks?

"Believe me, I'm not the only one on our team who's ever spoken out forcefully, who's raised their voice in the locker room. There's certainly no shortage of leadership at HC Bozen. But now our words need to be followed by actions."

Captain Daniel Frank can sometimes raise his voice.

What responsibility does the coach bear for the recent failures?

"Just as we players make mistakes, the coaching staff sometimes makes them too. That's just how it is in team sports. I don't want to point fingers at anyone here. Our situation is far too complex to say it's down to one person or one deficiency. We have many small issues that need to be addressed – and we need to do it together!"


Do you believe Bolzano needs reinforcements to truly compete at the top?

"No, basically we have enough quality in the squad. Mark Barberio should rejoin the team soon; we're currently missing his qualities. The injured Dylan DiPerna and Pascal Brunner are also fulfilling important roles. However, the numerous absences shouldn't be an excuse. The fit players should actually be stepping up to fill the gaps."

"I'm not the only one on the team who's ever gone on a rampage." Daniel frank

Did the 9-1 derby win against Pustertal a month ago blind many people?

"No, I wouldn't say that. It was a game where we simply showed what we're capable of – even if not for the full 60 minutes. It's just been like this so far this season: we're not doing our job consistently. A good period or even a good game is always followed by a slump. We have to stop that."


How exactly do you intend to stop that?

"With wins! Look, we had a great opportunity in Graz on Sunday to secure a crucial victory. We played a really strong opening period, but then suddenly fell back into our old habits. Now we have another tough, extremely strong home opponent in Linz. If we manage to win there and then follow it up with wins at home against Innsbruck and Vienna, that could be the breakthrough we've been looking for. Then the uncertainty will disappear and our confidence will return."

The ICE Games on Wednesday (7:15 pm):

Black Wings Linz - HC Bozen
Olimpija Ljubljana - HC Pustertal
HC Innsbruck - Klagenfurt AC
Vienna Capitals - Fehervar AV
Pioneers Vorarlberg - Villacher SV