Nicolò Remolato in his living room: the Sparkasse Arena in Bolzano South. © fop

He arrives on foot: This is Bolzano's new ice hockey darling

This young man is currently the talk of the South Tyrolean ice hockey world: Nicolò Remolato. His story is very special, not only because of his dream debut in the ICE Hockey League and his connection to HC Bolzano.

September 22, 2026

Nicolò Remolato's world has been turned upside down. Since his brace in his first game for HCB Südtirol Alperia, he has been celebrated by fans, and with his latest goal on Sunday against Red Bull Salzburg, he has attracted attention far beyond the white-and-red hockey world. Since then, he has been giving numerous interviews, telling his remarkable story.

“It’s completely crazy what’s happening right now,” says Remolato, as he looks at SportNews He's chatting. It's Tuesday morning, just before departure for Graz, where HCB will face the reigning champions on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.). It's the 21-year-old's first away game. Up until now, all the crazy stuff, as he calls it, has taken place right on his doorstep. Literally.

Remolato lives in the south of Bolzano, practically across the street from the Sparkasse Arena. "It's maybe 300 meters, I walk to the games," he says with a grin. And he used to walk to the stadium as a little boy, too, together with his brother Mattia and his father. "Remo," as he's known in the Bolzano locker room, started playing ice hockey with HCB, and on weekends he would sit in the stands with shining eyes. "I hardly ever missed a game of Alex Egger, Stefan Zisser, and the others. They were my childhood heroes."

Nicolò Remolato scored twice in his debut against Vienna. © HCB/Loris Bregolato

At the age of eleven, he moved to the lowlands. "Auer and Neumarkt are the best places for youth ice hockey. The Cavaliers give young players a chance," he raves today. A year ago, he then moved to AlpsHL competitor Cortina, "to leave my comfort zone for the first time, to become independent," as he puts it.

"I lay in bed until 4 a.m. and couldn't fall asleep." Nicolò Remolato

Now, a decade after leaving as a child, Remolato is back at his beloved club. And he's making an immediate impact. Two games, five shots on goal, three goals – even long-time Bolzano fans jumped up in the most comfortable stadium seats, and the stands chanted his name.

His family cried.

What does that do to a 21-year-old who, just a few months ago, was playing in Cortina in front of only a few hundred spectators? "After the games, I lay in bed until 4 a.m. and couldn't fall asleep. I was still full of endorphins, my head was racing with a thousand thoughts. I was also happy for my family." His brother Mattia, his parents, and grandparents were at the stadium over the weekend. "They cried," Remolato reveals.

They, who once drove him to countless youth games, who accompanied young Nicolò to the Foxes' home games. Now this Nicolò himself wears the number 27 for HC Bozen. That number once belonged to the legendary striker Lucio Topatigh. "Those are legends, unattainable."

Nicolò Remolato (right) and his older brother Mattia (left) in Lucio Topatigh's arms. Today he wears Topatigh's number 27. © private

Remolato, who is also pursuing a distance learning degree in sports science, is a quiet, modest guy. But he clearly states one goal: "I want to win the championship with Bolzano! It would be the greatest thing for me." Sentences like these sound like clichés, but not with Remolato. He is a player and a fan of HC Bolzano.

That's how he compensates for his height.

The former junior national player knows that his run of success can only be a snapshot in time. He, who is not only the youngest ICE goal scorer in HCB history, but at 1,72 meters tall, also the shortest player on the roster. "Of course, it can hurt when a strong opponent pushes you against the boards. I'm a few centimeters short. But ice hockey has evolved, it's gotten faster." That's where Remolato's strengths come into play. He's technically skilled, incredibly agile, and fast. Even Salzburg's defensive giants were sweating on Sunday. That certainly didn't go unnoticed in Graz. The championship-winning players have been warned: Beware of Bolzano's new hockey darling!

The ICE Games from Wednesday:

Graz 99ers – HCB Südtirol Alperia (6:30 pm)
Pioneers Vorarlberg – Milano HC (7:15 pm)
RB Salzburg – HC Innsbruck (7:15 pm)
Black Wings Linz – Olimpija Ljubljana (7:15 p.m.)
Vienna Capitals – Féhérvar AV (19.15 p.m.)
Klagenfurter AC – Villacher SV (19.15 p.m.)