End of career at 27: Ivan Tauferer calls it a day

“Actually that’s true, I’m still young. But I don’t have much left,” said Tauferer, regretting the end of his career. “I first visited a specialist in Munich and then in Milan. According to the Milan doctor's opinion, it was clear to me that it was best to quit." His training club, the Rittner Buam, and the HCB announced his end of career on Friday afternoon.

Tauferer injured his right hand in the ICE Hockey League game against HC Innsbruck on October 2, 2020. Diagnosis: The four ligaments that hold the lunate and scaphoid bones together were torn. Two operations followed. “The first proximal row of my carpal bones was removed,” reports the 1,90 meter tall and 93 kilogram defensive rock. “In April of this year I tore my Achilles tendon in my left foot while jogging. But the hand injury was the deciding factor in the end of my career. I would have too much pressure on my wrist when playing ice hockey. It could always become infected again and I would have to have surgery to correct that,” says Tauferer. “The hand injury was the deciding factor in the end of my career.” Ivan Tauferer Tauferer spent his entire youth and also a few years in the first team squad with the Rittner Buam, his hometown club. He made his debut in the 2012/13 season when the Rittner Buam were still playing in the former Serie A. Six more years followed at his hometown club, in which he played 292 games, collected 81 scorer points and scored 21 goals. “It was a very cool time here. We always had a good team,” he says.

Ivan Tauferer (right) during his time with the Rittner Buam. © Max Pattis

Tauferer was loaned out to HCB Südtirol Alperia for four games in the 2018/19 season before making the jump to what was then the EBEL - today the league is known as the ICE Hockey League - the following year. With the “Foxes”, the defender played a total of 77 games (9 scorer points) in four seasons. “The step to the HCB was of course a big one, as they play much faster and more physical ice hockey. I liked that. Firstly, your teammates are also a lot faster, and secondly, I like the physical game,” says Tauferer. However, his injury caused problems for him during this time: “It was especially tough mentally. You're behind in training and you want to give everything to be able to play when you get back. But it's not that easy and it takes a toll on the substance. Sometimes you even lose a little interest in ice hockey,” he reports. Serving tray instead of hockey sticks Now Tauferer is hanging up his skates. What's next for him? “Now my foot has to heal first. Then I want to start waiting tables. I now live with my girlfriend in Siusi. “I want to build something professionally here,” says the trained carpenter. Whether he will have anything to do with ice hockey again at some point is still in the clouds: “Not at the moment, I want to switch off for a moment. “I don’t know yet whether I’ll do something later,” he leaves his future open.

Ivan Tauferer in portrait Born on: January 26, 1995 Born in: Bolzano Occupation: Trained carpenter, now waiter Height: 1,90 meters Weight: 93 kg Career: 294 games for the Rittner Buam (81 scorer points), 77 games for HCB Südtirol Alperia (9 scorer points), 27 games for the Italian national team (2 scorer points) Title: AlpsHL Championship 2016/17, five Italian championships, two Italian Cups, two Italian Supercups

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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End of career at 27: Ivan Tauferer calls it a day

Actually, it is still far too early for Ivan Tauferer to end his career. After all, Rittner is just 27 years old. But a two-year period of suffering forced the HCB Südtirol Alperia defender to take this step.

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