This is what the new coach Stefan Mair wants to achieve in Bruneck

In the following interview, Mair looks back on the last 6 years at HC Thurgau in Switzerland, explains his philosophy and goals and gives an outlook on what Wolves fans can expect next winter.

S+: How would you describe the last 6 years at HC Thurgau?

Stefan Mair: “It was a very interesting journey. After all, almost everything has changed at HC Thurgau in the last 6 years: from the board of directors to countless players. The assistant coach Benjamin Winkler and I ended up being the longest-tenured employees. For me it was a big challenge every year because we usually had to bring in and install up to 10 new players. In addition to the two foreigners, there were a lot of young players. I made a virtue out of necessity and developed enormously as a coach. When I came to HCT in the summer of 2, the club was almost bankrupt. We started the season with only 2016 players and then signed two cheap foreigners. In the end we reached the play-offs. Over the last 15 years we have gained a reputation for developing young players in particular and being a springboard for higher tasks.”

What is different in Switzerland than here?

“Ice hockey is much more important in Switzerland than it is here. There is also more money available. You can see this in the individual training of the players. There are well-trained players, but only a few team players. There are countless individualists who are very fast. Speed plays an important role: good ice skaters are crucial.”

Why did a commitment to the National League never work out despite the success?

“This is primarily due to the lack of courage of the individual sports directors to give a coach from the Swiss League a chance in the National League. My background also plays a crucial role: As a coach from Italy you have a difficult time in the entire ice hockey world. The top teams like Bern, ZSC Lions or Zug usually only sign coaches with big names anyway. French clubs like Ajoie tend to have French coaches. That's why not many clubs remain. In the last few months, Sierre and Visp have expressed their interest, but the Swiss League didn't appeal to me. It’s an agent-driven cycle.” “At the first meeting with President Erich Falkensteiner, things clicked quickly.” Stefan Mair You have already been a player for 3 years and also a coach in Brunico for 3 years. What motivated you to return to Pustertal?

“There was contact with HC Pustertal very early on. When the club was accepted into the ICEHL, Jochen Schenk contacted me for the first time. In addition, contact with the current sports director Patrick Bona, with whom I played in Brunico and whom I then trained, has never been broken. We exchanged ideas last summer while looking for players. The club and the sports director made the final decision regarding the commitments. Things quickly clicked at the first meeting with President Erich Falkensteiner. I was impressed by his positive attitude and quickly became enthusiastic about his idea of building something sustainable.”

You've probably watched your new employer's debut season from afar. What do you think of HC Pustertal's performance last winter?

“After the difficult start, it was all the more remarkable how the HCP turned the corner and qualified directly for the play-offs. It was an amazing comeback. What the team managed under Raimo Helminen, who did an excellent job, was simply fantastic. The main reason for this was goalkeeper Tomas Sholl, who proved to be a real stroke of luck. But he wasn't the only lucky find. The club had made very clever transfers and signed several leaders and many players who were very helpful to the team. Actually, only the signing of Brad Morrison was unfortunate. Otherwise there was actually no failure.”

How do you rate the level in the ICEHL?

“It's a good level. The game is primarily North American and there are similarities to the DEL, where the game is even more physical. The ICEHL is a league with high standards. There is a lot of squad depth in the individual teams, which is mainly due to the 10 foreigners per team. The aim of the league is to give the locals more space in the future. That is also our credo: Above all, we want to work sustainably and in the long term.”

HC Pustertal has already extended the contracts with 7 players. Will other cracks from last season stay in Bruneck?

“A majority of the local players from last season will be confirmed. For foreigners, however, there will be a major upheaval. But we have to make sure that the new players fit together.” “The results are the consequence of good work.” Stefan Mair 5th place will be hard to top. What are your goals with HC Pustertal?

“Finishing the basic round in 5th place as a newcomer was already outstanding and will be difficult to repeat. But I'm definitely not deciding on a placement now. That would be negligent and far too early. After the pre-season and the friendly matches I will say which place we are aiming for. Let's wait and see what our team and our opponents will look like. Our goal is to build something sustainable. The results are the consequence of good work. I will use the depth of the squad and hope that the team grows over the course of the season so that they can deliver their best performance in the second half of the season.”

Between 2008 and 2011 they brought players like Mike Jarmuth, Greg Barber, Greg Watson, Jeff Jakaitis, Matt Kelly, Rem Murray, Taggart Desmet, Rob Sirianni, Joe Cullen and Joe Jensen to Bruneck, who are still unforgotten today. Can the fans also expect exceptional players at the HCP next season?

“We try to fill the team as best as possible in the individual positions. The club already raised money for a scout at international level two months ago. Through good scouting you can then save money on player signings. I can already tell you one thing: there will be some surprises. We will bring in some players who at first glance are not greats, but rather no-names.”

You were Patrick Bona's coach, now he is your sports director. Who decides on player signings?

“The situation is similar to that in Thurgau, where there was a sports commission with whom I brought in the players. I say what kind of players I want. Then it is checked what the player costs and how he fits into the team structure. Together with the sports director and the scout, a decision is then made as to who will be signed. We have a list of around 50 players who are potential new additions to the HCP.” Saying goodbye to Thurgau after 6 years was not easy for Stefan Mair.

How would you describe the gaming system you want?

“The term game system sounds trite to me. I stick to basic principles. My style of play is based on 3 pillars. First and foremost we have to play compactly. This means that we have to concentrate on defending and maintaining order in front of our own goal. The 2nd column is a quick switching game. And the 3rd pillar is support without a disc: The players without a disc should create ice and support the player with a disc. The support of the teammate starts at the back and extends across the entire field to the very front. In order to achieve this, the individual lines must harmonize and fit together well.”

You accompanied Italy to 3 World Cups as national coach. How do you see the development of local ice hockey?

“It’s not necessarily a rosy situation. It's always easy to criticize from the outside. For example, the Swiss association has 20 million euros at its disposal, while the Italian association, as far as I know, has to make do with just under a million. You have to see what is possible: How good is the basis and the trainer training? Our problem is the players between the ages of 14 and 18. We have been missing the boat there in international comparison for years. But that's not just the association's fault. Less parochial politics would often be desirable. The cooperation between the clubs and the association needs to be improved. At the moment it doesn't work without Italos. Not even in Brunico. Nevertheless, you have to give the boys the chance to prove themselves.” “There are some young, talented South Tyrolean players who have the physical requirements and have learned a lot abroad.” Stefan Mair Are there any young, local players you would like to bring to Bruneck?

“I already have one or two in mind. There are some young, talented South Tyrolean players who have the physical requirements and have learned a lot abroad. These could be installed carefully.”

When does training start?

“We haven’t decided on the start of ice training yet. But I assume that we will be on the ice for the first time at the beginning of August. My wish would be to organize a kind of rookie camp in the first week.”

Who will be your assistant?

“There are several options. I have clear ideas about the development of the players and a precise requirement profile for my assistant coach. Unfortunately, my preferred candidate, Andres Olsson, has canceled because he is returning to his native Sweden and becoming a coach at Vita Hästen in the Alssvenskan. My choice will probably fall on a Scandinavian. But there could also be a South Tyrolean solution. I also exchanged ideas with Raimo Helminen and had a good conversation. He could also be an option. I don’t need my own video coach. I will take care of the video myself, as I have invested a lot of time there in the past. I would like Thomas Tragust to be my goalkeeper coach. I've known him for a long time, after he was my goalkeeper at HC Fassa. Tschomby has done a great job recently and got along very well with Sholl.”

Interview: Kurt Platter

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
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2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
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This is what the new coach Stefan Mair wants to achieve in Bruneck

Stefan Mair returns to Bruneck. The 54-year-old ice hockey coach from Bolzano will lead HC Pustertal into the second season of the ICE Hockey League from mid-September.

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