Olympic imbalance in ice hockey

There is no end in sight and winter is actually long over. We are gradually preparing for summer. At least a few days of vacation on sunny shores with beach and sea have already been booked. Nevertheless, the sport still has icy claws. Respectively sharp runners. Ice hockey is the magic word and nothing beats a world championship in this regard.

It will start again in the next few days. In Prague and Ostrava. There was just a World Cup. True. Somehow. Because in the somewhat careless terminology it has actually been said very often in the past few days: The Ice Hockey World Championships in Bolzano. The addition that it was about the first division was often forgotten or neglected. Furthermore, this is also window dressing, because what should be sold as Division I is actually second class. B-WM just.

Ice hockey is at home in South Tyrol This event was all about promotion to the world group and never about any title. If the host team, i.e. Italy's ice hockey team, had been as good as the organization of this tournament, they would have been allowed to compete in the upper house in Sweden and Denmark next year. But nothing came of it. The Azzurri's puck rarely found its way into the opponent's goal. Third place. Hungary and Slovenia rose. It's sobering, although it certainly wasn't due to a lack of support from the fans. More spectators than expected attended the games, which once again made it clear: ice hockey is at home in South Tyrol. This insight is not new, I know.

When the “Foxes” from Bolzano play against the “Wolves” from Bruneck in the ICE Hockey League, it’s always incredibly exciting. They are fascinating and atmospheric local derbies. The problem of a lack of quality compared to other European leagues is quickly forgotten despite the international nature of this league (Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and Italy), but that is understandable. In these games the club is in the foreground and that can and should be the case. That's why the players are in intensive focus even during the winter and may already feel like they're in seventh ice hockey heaven. Italy's ALPS Hockey League also has its place and the Rittner Buam's victory this year can be properly celebrated.

Tommaso De Luca knows reality But all of these are fake battles. Remaining in ice hockey insignificance for another year also feels so painful because the rush of playing time with emotionally intense encounters ended in a severe hangover. The many exciting encounters are deceptive. There is too much fighting and not enough game culture. This is also why the national team is still not good enough for the upper house.

One of the great talents from Italy, national player Tommaso De Luca, explained this in an interview SportNews.bz put your finger in the wound in advance. The 19-year-old from Aosta plays for the Swiss cult club Ambri-Piotta on the Gotthard and can therefore compare well: “Ice hockey in Italy is not even close to the level of Switzerland. You have to put in a lot of effort to prove that as an Italian you can play at the Swiss level.” There were several more statements from him that should give you food for thought. He also stated that it took him months to get used to the team's fast-paced game. In addition, he does not see himself as an exceptional talent: “There are players in Switzerland my age who are much further along than me.” The Swiss juniors also play in the A group at the U20 World Championships (7th place last in the December 2023), while Italy's team of the same age only finished third in the B group. Tommaso De Luca, Italy's top talent. © Valentina Gallina / IIHF

Of course, this would still not seriously concern anyone if it weren't for the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina in a year and a half. Luckily, Italy automatically qualified as hosts because they would never have had the slightest chance in terms of sport. Forming a team in this short time that could be even somewhat competitive against Canada, the USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Germany is almost impossible, especially since the NHL is taking a break again for the Olympics this time. The tournament in Bolzano was therefore more than just a brutal inventory with frightening results.

Too many sports under one roof The failures of the past with a lack of consistent training for young talent cannot be compensated for in a flash. The FISG (Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio) for ice hockey should have reacted at the latest when the 2019 Olympic Games in Lausanne were awarded to Italy. Of the seven years leading up to Milan, every year has been spent doing nothing. Instead, they dreamed of many so-called Italian-Canadians, of whom there are numerous farm teams in the USA and Canada.

Basically, this idea was a slap in the face for the local youth. But perhaps the FISG leadership is overwhelmed, because the entire ice is brought together under the umbrella of the association: ice hockey, short track, figure skating, speed skating, curling and stick shooting. Yes, also curling, which is not an Olympic event. In many countries, the ice hockey associations have long been independent, which certainly makes it easier to pool forces for the sport. Nevertheless, Tommaso De Luca decided to play for Italy and not for Switzerland, which would have been theoretically possible but also quite unrealistic given the strength of the Swiss team. “Winter Games in their own country, only a few athletes get to experience that in their career”; he said and added that ice hockey is still very special. “We are probably competing against the absolute superstars. They are like gods of sports to me. I want to be there.” Luckily Tommaso is not a goalkeeper.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The multi-award-winning sports journalist (including winner of the German Television Prize and the Bavarian Sports Prize), author, long-time sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung and early commentator at Eurosport (since 1989), dedicates his column “Sigi's Spitze” to the entire diversity of sports Sports. Sometimes with a smile and a wink, sometimes thoughtful or deliberately provocative. There should be something for everyone.

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Olympic imbalance in ice hockey

The sporting defeat at the Ice Hockey World Cup in Bolzano increased the worries in Italy's ice hockey a year and a half before the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich blames, among other things, a lack of structures in youth work.

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