Roland Ramoser: “I won’t leave without saying goodbye”

The 38-year-old Rittner played 15 seasons and 625 games in Serie A, scoring an incredible 690 points (317) for Devils Milan, HC Gröden, HC Bozen and Ritten Sport. During this time he has won five Italian championship titles, three Italian cups and the Supercup three times. Ramoser, who was known as a team player and a great fighter, was also highly valued in Germany. In the DEL he made 212 appearances in four seasons for Nuremberg and Kassel, scoring 124 points (63 goals). In the following interview, Rolly Ramoser describes his emotional state after the end of the season with Ritten and takes a look back at his 20-year professional career.

sportnews.bz: With the end of Roland Ramoser's career, Italian ice hockey has lost one of its shining lights. One reason why many fans will continue to see you next season...

Roland Ramoser: I have to interrupt you briefly here. I said a while ago that this would be my last season. However, I will not announce my final decision with an official statement until the middle of next week.

Why the hesitation?

I would like to analyze the past few months and carefully consider my decision. There are also numerous people who have been very close to me throughout my career and who deserve an appropriate thank you. I don't want to walk away from Saturday's defeat without saying goodbye.

But you probably imagined your last professional season differently...

I've heard that a lot in the past few days. A lot went wrong in terms of sport, but I have to say that I had a lot of great experiences this season. We had a great team in which it was easy for me to pursue the sport of ice hockey with fun and joy. In short, I don't regret my decision to hang on for another year.

How do you explain the bitter failure of the “Rittner Buam”?

First of all, I would like to take a stand for the character of our players. We are said to be a divided bunch, but that's not true. The local players achieved great things and showed an exemplary attitude. The foreign players have also put in a lot of effort. Without explaining it too much: we simply lacked the necessary quality.

Do the last two years of crisis in Bolzano and Ritten cast a shadow on your career?

No, not at all. I owe everything to the sport of ice hockey, many unique experiences, indescribable emotional moments, the strength to get up again and again and the certainty that I have met many great people.

Which moments do you particularly remember?

There are a lot of them. However, the last championship title with Bozen was a special satisfaction and an unforgettable moment for me as a long-time captain. Back then we simply played a perfect season. But when I look further back, I can think of many more moving moments, such as the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer. As a young player, it felt like a dream to suddenly be on the ice against my great idols. A similar thing happened to me a few months later at the home World Championships in Bolzano.

It's hard to imagine domestic ice hockey without Roland Ramoser at the moment. Will you continue to be available to this sport in any way?

If I decide to end my career, I will probably finish with ice hockey. First of all, I will switch everything to “cool down” and do completely different things to clear my head and recharge my batteries. I have decided to take over my parents' farm in Oberbozen. I consider this a great honor and would like to dedicate myself fully to this new challenge.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you much success in your future planning and thank you for the interview.

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Roland Ramoser: “I won’t leave without saying goodbye”

On Saturday, one of the greatest domestic ice hockey players of the last decades said a quiet farewell: The 2:3 defeat after extra time in Ritten against Valpellice was most likely Roland Ramoser's last professional game.

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