Dieter Knoll presents the HCB: “We also need tough guys”

The press event at the end of August has now become a tradition at HC Bozen and each of the invited participants - whether officials, players, sponsors or media representatives - knows what to expect. It is the stage that sports director Dieter Knoll deserves. In his annual speech, he sets a clear direction before the start of the season. This Tuesday was no different. “The top six, i.e. direct playoff qualification, is the minimum goal. That has to be possible with this squad,” explains Knoll. After that we will see how far the path leads in the playoffs. “We must not forget that other clubs such as Salzburg, Vienna, Klagenfurt and Linz have completely different resources at their disposal. Villach, Innsbruck and Dornbirn have also upgraded properly.”

Suikkanen called for total upheaval However, HC Bozen also put together a powerful team very early on. Coach Kai Suikkanen's job is now to form a tight-knit unit like the one last season. “It will be difficult enough because we have 13 new players in the squad. There have never been so many. However, we were very careful when choosing new recruits and only signed players who could play a key role. Many of them were leaders in their previous teams, both on and off the ice,” explains the club boss. The lectern around HCB sports director Dieter Knoll (middle)

Curiously, another selection criterion was the physical dimensions of the players, because “if there was one thing that was missing in the past, it was old-school player types, tough guys who sometimes intervene and protect the technically skilled cracks in our ranks. That’s why we gained centimeters and kilograms this year.” “The Scandinavia trip costs more than 40.000 euros” The face of this new HCB will become clear in the Champions League next weekend. The international competition not only puts Suikkanen's protégés to a tough test, but also those responsible for the club. “The CHL is the well-deserved reward for the hard work last season. Participation in the international competition also led to one or two players choosing us. The team is literally burning for these duels. For us, however, it is an enormous logistical challenge. The away trip to the games in Sweden and Finland alone costs more than 40.000 euros.” Major projects in the ice wave During his almost half-hour speech, Knoll revealed further figures that arise for the club or municipality as the operator of the ice wave. “A new video cube that is unrivaled in Europe has just been installed for almost half a million euros. Next year, new, more flexible boards will be installed, which will cost around 350.000 euros." The ex-HCB player and current state ice sports president Stefan Zisser, who was present, promptly agreed with him: "The next big project will be a second ice surface around the Eiswelle. This would also make Bolzano a candidate for an Ice Hockey World Cup.”

There is no shortage of projects around HC Bozen. The framework conditions for successful ice hockey are all there. Now it's up to the newly formed team to make the best possible use of this - starting on Friday with the CHL opener against the Swedish top team Skellefteå AIK.

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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Dieter Knoll presents the HCB: “We also need tough guys”

On Tuesday, the new HCB Südtirol Alperia squad was presented to the media in the Eiswelle VIP lounge. Club boss Dieter Knoll took the opportunity to announce a clear goal for the season.

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