“The team starts with scouting”

It is mid-May and the “Wolves” are already on the right track when it comes to the composition of the team. In addition to the new, old coach Stefan Mair, who recently signed a three-year contract with HCP, the ink has already dried on the contracts of 3 goalkeepers, 5 defenders and 7 strikers. Sports director Patrick Bona will report further transfer activities in the coming days.

But the former HCP striker doesn't want to rush anything. “We already have 15 players under contract and still have 4 months until the championship starts. We don’t want to and can’t make any mistakes when signing new players,” explains Bona. The careful scouting of players before signing them has long since become normal in the east of South Tyrol.

Patrick Bona is looking for players with heart – like he was. © Brixen Falcons

At HC Pustertal, players are not only given a contract based on the price, their catch rates, goals and assists, but are also put through their paces. “We have added a professional scout to our organization. This explores the market for us and provides us with valuable information about potential new entries. It costs the club a lot of money. “You can save this on player commitments through good scouting,” assures Bona and adds: “The team starts with scouting.”

The Puster sports director recently spent a week together with Michael Ranalter, who is responsible for marketing and social media at HCP, and goalkeeper Philipp “Pippo” Kosta, who will take on a role within the club that has yet to be determined in the future a scouting trip in the USA. “Together with our scout we watched 5 AHL and ECHL games. We had a handful of players on the list that we watched closely and who could one day be an issue for HC Pustertal,” says Bona.

<a data-caption="In der Saison 2012/13 waren Philipp Kosta, Ben Guitè und Patrick Bona (von links) Teamkollegen beim HC Pustertal und haben sich vor kurzem in Maine getroffen. © Tobias Unterhofer / Tobias Unterhofer" data-fancybox="inline-113666" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2022/05/in-der-saison-201213-waren-philipp-kosta-ben-guite-und-patrick-bona-von-links-teamkollegen-beim-hc-pustertal-und-haben-sich-vor-kurzem-in-maine-ge-1.jpg"> In the 2012/13 season, Philipp Kosta, Ben Guitè and Patrick Bona (from left) were teammates at HC Pustertal and recently met in Maine. © Tobias Unterhofer / Tobias Unterhofer

The destination for Bona and his companions, who looked behind the scenes and got an idea of the activities in the stadiums such as the structure, the flow of the games and press work, was New York. From there, they attended games within a 3- to 4-hour drive. Among others, from the Hartford Wolf Pack, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (both AHL) and the Maine Mariners (ECHL). “Ben Guitè is the coach of the Mariners. I played with the former NHL player at HC Pustertal in the 2012/13 season and stayed in constant contact with him. There was also a reunion in Maine with our ex-player Brad Morrison, who went scoring goals for the Reading Royals after his short stint in Bruneck.” “In such a short time I gained an insight into the scouting world and learned a lot.” Patrick Bona For the 41-year-old Bona, this trip was very educational: “For me, scouting is pretty new territory. In this short time I gained an insight into the scouting world and learned a lot. Above all, I am convinced that it is very important to have a scout of international stature at the club so that you don't just have to rely on the agents. Especially now that the market is developing in a completely different direction. While it was pretty empty a year ago, this year it has more to offer. The only disadvantage, however, is that the players’ prices are skyrocketing.”

Whether the HC Pustertal scout, together with the sports director and the coach, did a great job in selecting the new players will be seen by mid-September at the latest, when the Puster team will start their second ICEHL season.

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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“The team starts with scouting”

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