HCP report card: Positive grades are a luxury this time

TRAINER Tomek Valtonen 5 The Tomek Valtonen era at HC Pustertal began on December 2nd with an away game in Laibach and ended on February 26th with a home game against Laibach. The Finn sat on the Puster bench for 26 games. Under his direction, the HCP celebrated 10 wins and scored 32 points. That's only 1,23 points per game and definitely not enough. And yet Valtonen's contract was extended by one year on January 27th. The 43-year-old has tried primarily to stabilize the defense over the past three months. But the offensive game suffered as a result. Valtonen, who was very popular with most of the players, will definitely have to come up with something new next season if he wants to eat the “Panettone” in Brunico.

Philippe Horsky 5,5 The Austrian, who signed a two-year contract as assistant coach in the summer, led the team as head coach in 21 games between October 29st and November 13th. The “Wolves” celebrated 6 wins and scored 18 points (average per game: 1,38). The 40-year-old is considered an up-and-coming coach who primarily took care of the defense and the special teams under Valtonen, with whom the relationship is cold.

Stefan Mair 5 The experiment with Stefan Mair was over after just 9 games. The 55-year-old was considered a great hope and was given a three-year contract before the start of the season. The man from Bolzano quickly fell out of favor not only with the board, but also with some players, and had to pack his bags on October 19th after only 2 wins and 6 points (average: 0,66). In the end, it didn't matter that the opening program with opponents like Villach, Salzburg, Vienna and HCB Südtirol was anything but easy. In the end, Mair's downfall came from a few top performers that he had chosen himself.

Stefan Mair only got 2 wins and 6 points with the HCP. © Leo Holzknecht / HC Pustertal/I. Foppa

GOALKEEPER Tomas Sholl 8 The American with Danish roots also proved to be a reliable support in his second season. Sholl was able to repeat his catch rate from the previous year and once again blocked 2 percent of the shots fired at his goal. This made him the best goalkeeper in the league. The 92,3-year-old, who was in the box 28 times and celebrated 37 victories, repeatedly ironed out mistakes made by those in front of him thanks to his quick reaction and was the only guest worker who was able to fully impress. For Sholl, however, after two years the signs point to farewell: his new job will probably be in Finland or Germany.

Jacob Smith 7 Jacob Smith's guest appearance, however, could be over after just one year. The Italian Canadian is associated with HC Meran. The 27-year-old guarded the Puster goal 12 times and celebrated 4 wins. The catch rate of 91,5 percent is more than impressive for a substitute goalkeeper who impressed with his quick footwork and reflexes. DEFENDER Ivan Althuber 5,5 The 28-year-old also had problems with speed and positional play in his second ICEHL season. He was never able to really shine, also because he was only used 2 times. Althuber was the only HCP player who remained without a scorer point.

Wyatt Ege 6 The US boy arrived in Bruneck on October 11th and took Morten Jensen's place. In terms of playing ability and stature, Ege was very similar to the Dane, but he too was unable to provide the offensive accents he had hoped for. The two-way defender often struggled in front of his own goal due to his physical deficits. Even though the 2-year-old was a bargain, there needs to be more to come from a foreign defender.

Daniel Glira 5,5 The Toblacher was once again a factor of uncertainty and could not give the backline the security that was hoped for from him. The powerhouse showed off its physical advantages far too rarely, rarely cleaned up and could hardly stimulate the offensive game. Above all, his positional play was inadequate and his susceptibility to errors was high. After Armin Hofer's departure, the 28-year-old was the most experienced local defender, but there was hardly any leadership qualities to be seen.

Emil Kristensen 5 The Dane was a complete disappointment. The 30-year-old repeatedly weakened his team through inattention and major mistakes. Kristensen's own body thwarted his plans: After he had to take a month off at the end of October, he played his last game of the season on December 28th and spent the last two months in the hospital ward. Even though Kristensen scored in almost every second game, he couldn't live up to expectations.

Gianluca March 6- The Leifer native played his 5th season with HC Pustertal, but his 1st season in the ICEHL. At times he was able to meet the trainer's requirements. Especially in front of the goal, the muscle pack ensured the necessary water displacement. However, March was often overwhelmed and often had problems with speed. He could hardly give any impetus to the offensive game. The 25-year-old with a Swiss passport - like many other players - is about to say goodbye to Brunico and could continue his career in Switzerland.

Ben Newhouse 5 The US boy was considered a risk commitment and was usually a risk factor in the HCP's defensive network. The 25-year-old, who made his first appearance with the professionals and came to the fore overseas as a tireless and hard-working shot blocker, had great difficulty adapting to the higher level and was an insecure factor in the backline until the end. Above all, the “mastermind” was unable to compensate for his physical weaknesses in a playful way. Newhouse's guest appearance in Bruneck ended on November 18th.

Nick Plastino 5,5 The Italian Canadian owed a lot. Plastino was able to make an impact in the first games after his arrival in Bruneck at the end of November, but then declined. The 37-year-old should have directed the power play - but he only partially succeeded. The years have not left their mark on the two-time Italian champion, Norwegian and Finnish champion. The pace repeatedly posed problems for the offensive defender. When his employer's season ended early, “Firefighter” Plastino was able to retire to ice hockey.

Matt Spencer 6,5 The bottom line was that the Canadian was the most reliable defensive player for the “Wolves”. In front of his own box he was mostly uncompromising, repeatedly joining the attack and scoring points diligently. 21 points are impressive. This made Spencer the defender with the highest points in the Puster ranks. At +9, the 25-year-old also had the best plus-minus record in the team. The blonde was indispensable in both the power play and penalty killing and was mostly very solid.

Reece Willcox 5 Last year’s “Defense Minister” from Pusteria was unrecognizable. While a year ago he was able to make his mark in all game situations, the Philadelphia Flyers' fifth-round draft pick repeatedly made mistakes this winter. He often tried to gain respect with his tough style of play, but the 28-year-old wasn't the leader he hoped for. The price also plays a role in the negative rating: Willcox was the most expensive player on the team and did not do justice to the price-performance ratio.

Not rated: Morten Jensen and Ziga Pavlin.

The big HCP certificate: Here go to part 2.

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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HCP report card: Positive grades are a luxury this time

A difficult season recently came to an end for HC Pustertal. In the past 6 months, almost everyone involved (including the board and the sports management) has failed - especially the coaches and top performers. s+ presents the grades.

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