Josef Prast: On the trail of South Tyrol's ice hockey gems

When the Under-18 World Championship of Division II Group A begins in Asiago on Sunday, ten South Tyrolean players will be in the spotlight. One of them is Josef Prast from Ritten, who will lead the "Blue Team" onto the ice as captain in the coming days. The 17-year-old is one of the brightest ice hockey talents in our country, following in the footsteps of Damian Clara and Tommy Purdeller.

Although Josef Prast won't come of age until September 20 of this year, he's already experienced quite a bit in his young life. He started playing ice hockey in Klobenstein at the age of six. He grew up in the Bemelmans Post Hotel, just a stone's throw from the Ritten Arena.

"I come from a hockey-mad family on my mother's side. My grandfather Theo Senn, my great-uncle Josef "Pepi" Senn, and also my uncle Anton Senn were enthusiastic ice hockey players for years. And my grandmother 'Midi' is the biggest and also a fanatical fan. So it was only logical that I also practice this sport," Josef Prast reflects on his beginnings.

Ice hockey immediately captivated little Josef and captivated him. "My first coaches were Stan Holba and Mark Stuckey, to whom I owe a lot. Especially Stan, who was tough and taught me discipline and willpower. I was able to play with older kids on the Ritten U8 team. That helped me a lot in my future career," Prast assures.

One season in Sweden, two seasons in Salzburg The defender, who was formerly a striker, played for his hometown club until he was 15, before deciding to move abroad. "My plan was to join the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I wasn't accepted at the time. Coaches Torgny Bendelin and Robert Chizzali made contact with HC Vita Hästen. We played a friendly against the Swedish club with the national team, and after a trial, I was accepted."

The year in Norrköping, a city of 100.000 inhabitants, was "very important for my development. I was completely on my own. I learned a lot: about hockey and about life. I had to become independent, living alone in an apartment; I had to clean, do laundry, shop, cook, and also learn how to handle money.

At first, I was terribly homesick, but I got used to it over time," says Prast, who also struggled on the ice at first: "The level was very high. I had to get used to the style of play. That took some time. Then suddenly, it all happened naturally. I learned things back then that I still benefit from today."

In the summer of 2023, the 1,88-meter-tall, 95-kilogram defensive bulwark left Scandinavia and, thanks to Robert Chizzali, a friend of former German national goalkeeper Helmut De Raaf, was given the opportunity to try out for the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg. The trial went well, and Prast, whose role models include his late great-uncle "Pepi" Senn and NHL stars Cale Makar and Brady Tkachuk, has been part of the renowned ice hockey academy for the past two seasons.

<a data-caption="Der 17-jährige Josef Prast bestreitet ab Sonntag bereits seine dritte U18-WM für Italien. Zudem hat er schon zwei U20-WM's absolviert." data-fancybox="inline-258210" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2025/04/der-17-jaehrige-josef-prast-bestreitet-ab-sonntag-bereits-seine-dritte-u18-wm-fuer-italien-zudem-hat-er-schon-zwei-u20-wm39s-absolviert.jpg"> Starting Sunday, 17-year-old Josef Prast will be competing in his third U18 World Cup for Italy. He has also already competed in two U20 World Cups.

"It is one of, if not the best, training facility in the world. We receive comprehensive support and are provided with absolutely everything: from equipment to meals to meal planning. But we also lack nothing when it comes to academics. I'm currently in the third grade at the private cooperative school for business and sports and will graduate next year," says the friendly, cheerful woman.

For years, EC Red Bull Salzburg has been the benchmark in Austria, not only in the senior division, but also in the youth division. The Salzburg U18 team, coached by club legend Manuel Latusa, recently defended its ÖEHV International League title, while the Salzburg U20 team, coached by Finn Antti Aarnio, returned to the ÖEHV International League throne after several years.

Prast played for both teams and is a two-time champion: "It makes me proud to be part of these teams. A championship title is always something special. A year ago, I was also part of the U18 championship team, and we also won the Elite Cup, which made us number one in Europe." Salzburg also secured the championship title in the Czech U16 Extraliga with its U15 team this year. Only in the Austrian U17 championship did the "Red Bulls" lose to Villacher SV in the final.

South Tyrolean duo receives reinforcements at the academy David Bertignoll from Neumarkt was on Salzburg's U16 team. He and Josef Prast are currently the only South Tyroleans in the Red Bull Academy, which will be joined next season by Jonas Wierer from Pustertal and Moritz Frick from Überetsch. As is well known, Peter Hochkofler has been another South Tyrolean native in Salzburg for years. "We hardly have any contact with the players on the ICEHL team. We know each other and say hello – but nothing more. Whenever I had the time, I enjoyed watching the ICEHL games at the Volksgarten. This included the first semifinal match against HCB Südtirol. You can learn a lot from the pros," Prast says.

He will spend at least another year in Salzburg due to school. "It would be nice if I could play for the AlpsHL team. I'll definitely be able to complete summer training with the 'Young Bulls.' If that doesn't work out, I'll be back on the U20 team. After that, I'd like to move to North America and study there and play ice hockey, if it works out. The Ontario Hockey League, where Tommy Purdeller also played, would definitely appeal to me," the defender says, clearly outlining his future.

The NHL would be the ultimate goal for Josef Prast If the jump to Canada or the USA materializes, the NHL wouldn't be far away. "The NHL would obviously be the ultimate goal. But everything has to be right for that. You also need a lot of luck. The path Damian Clara has taken would be a dream come true. A realistic goal could be the DEL, Switzerland, or a Scandinavian league. The level is very high everywhere there," Prast enthuses.

He describes himself as "a modern defender who is more offensive-minded and always gets involved in the attack. My playing style also includes a physical component. I can play hard and often see myself as a police officer for my teammates."

Starting Sunday, Rittner's full focus will be on the home World Championships in Asiago. "After our unfortunate relegation a year ago, our goal is to immediately get promoted again. I'll get support from my family, to whom I owe the most in my career, probably from my girlfriend, and also from some of my colleagues," says the talented youngster. His brother Lutz, who is three years younger and also a defender, and whose twin sister is Sophie, recently won the U19 Italian Cup and the U16 Elite Cup with the Alps Ice Academy.

The winning gene truly seems to run in the Prast-Senn family. Therefore, it wouldn't be a big surprise if Josef Prast were to be the first to receive the World Championship trophy and the gold medal next Saturday in Asiago.

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Josef Prast: On the trail of South Tyrol's ice hockey gems

Ritten defender Josef Prast is one of South Tyrol's greatest talents, is a two-time champion with Salzburg and will be Italy's captain at the U18 World Championships in Asiago.

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