Olivier Roy, former goalie of HC Pustertal.

A fierce attack against HC Pustertal

The new ICE Hockey League season for HC Falkensteiner Pustertal begins in just over a month. In the meantime, a former player has lashed out at the club on social media. The Wolves themselves have now responded.

August 06, 2025

From: dl

Olivier Roy's brief stint at HC Pustertal ended after just nine games. During this time, the goalie failed to impress and was replaced in early November by Eddie Pasquale, who brought significantly more stability to the HCP defense. Roy clearly still hasn't gotten over this, and on Tuesday he took a vehement dig at his former employer on social media.

"Some people have asked me why the season at HC Pustertal was so miserable. Our family moved into an apartment with a huge mold problem that was never fixed. I developed knee pain after a player fell on me, but I still had to play, even though the pain was getting worse. The club decided to release me while I was rehabbing my knee," Roy wrote in his Instagram post.

Check out this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olivier Roy (@olivier_roy31)

At the end, the 34-year-old Canadian, who had already played for Fehervar and Villach in the ICE, added: "After my contract was terminated, I was never paid the agreed amount in full. My involvement with HCP is the only one in ten years in Europe that I look back on negatively."

The club defends itself

SportNews contacted HC Pustertal on Wednesday morning. CEO Jochen Schenk responded promptly and sent the editorial team this statement, which we reproduce in full and in italics: "We were surprised to learn of the recent public statements made by our former goalkeeper Olivier Roy. While we refrain from commenting on social media, we would like to objectively present some facts for the sake of clarity. It's generally a no-go for us to speak publicly about players and their misconduct, but Olivier Roy's statements compel us to do so."

Olivier Roy (left) shot hard against HC Pustertal.

"We have been working with players from all over the world for decades. HCP is widely known for its hospitality and, above all, for the respectful treatment we offer our players. We have always fulfilled all our contractual obligations. Our players receive comprehensive support like nowhere else. In the event of any difficulties, players and their families are always helped quickly and easily. The players confirm this to us every year. We receive countless compliments for the way we treat our players, from agents, the players themselves, and their families. Most return to the Pustertal Valley as friends after years away and spend their holidays with us. It is quite common and normal for things to not work out between the club and the player. This was also the case with Olivier Roy last year. Nevertheless, we handled the matter respectfully and professionally. Why was the contract terminated? The player arrived in Bruneck in the summer out of shape; he hadn't done his homework that summer."

“Our players receive all-round support like at almost no other location.” Jochen Schenk, Managing Director of HC Pustertal

"We set up our own program to get the player in shape. Unfortunately, he didn't make use of it. He missed scheduled appointments with physiotherapists and special training sessions. Furthermore, his performance was far from what we expected. He simply ignored instructions from the medical department. The mold infestation in the apartment is 100% attributable to Mr. Roy's usage behavior. We repeatedly advised him how to prevent the infestation. Nothing happened. As a result, we terminated Olivier Roy's contract. Afterward (after the termination of the contract!), out of respect and professionalism, we granted the player's wish to remain in the apartment until he found a new employer. He was allowed to continue using our car. He continued to receive medical care and training opportunities from us to get in shape."

"After signing with his new employer, he left with new goalie gear, which was owned by the HCP, and played several games for his new club in the DEL2 wearing our equipment. We did everything for the player to get in shape, to feel comfortable, and to get healthy. We offered him every opportunity to find a new club. Perhaps too much? This makes me all the more surprised by the current backlash. Perhaps there's a hint of bitterness in there, since he hasn't found a new club yet, neither in Europe nor in North America. With this statement, this matter is closed for us, and we will not comment further. We have a season to prepare for that should bring us much joy!"