Randy Gazzola joins a rival. © Fantini Serena

A top Italian moves to the ICE competition

Randy Gazzola (31) is considered one of the best offensive defensemen in the ICE Hockey League. The Italian-Canadian has now signed with a league rival of HC Bozen and HC Pustertal.

July 30, 2025

From: det

Good Italian-Canadians are in high demand at Italy's ice hockey clubs. Therefore, it's not common for a North American with an Italian passport to move to a league rival outside Italy. But that's exactly what happened with Randy Gazzola.

The 31-year-old will be lacing up his skates for the Vienna Capitals next season. The Viennese team announced this on Wednesday, simultaneously announcing that their roster is now complete.

Best points average in the league

With Gazzola, the Capitals have acquired an outstanding offensive defenseman who scored 30 points (38 goals, 7 assists) in 31 games for Asiago last season. At 1,27 points per game, he achieved the highest points average in the entire league.

In three years with Asiago, Gazzola has a total of 110 points in 126 games—a remarkable feat for a defender. The 31-year-old began his European career with the Rittner Buam in 2019.