Ice hockey season starts in danger

The plan for the local clubs actually looks like this: HC Bozen starts the ICE season on September 25th, followed by the start of the Champions League on October 7th with a home game against EHC Biel. In the AlpsHL, HC Pustertal, Rittner Buam, Wipptal Broncos and HC Gherdëina will start playing on October 3rd. That's the current status.

However, the effects of Corona could now thwart these plans. The spectator problem in particular is causing headaches in the league offices, associations and clubs. Regardless of whether in the CHL, the ICE or the AlpsHL, ice hockey without fans is impossible for a longer period of time. During the HC Bozen has received positive signals from the state government and the situation in Hungary and Slovakia is also developing positively, there are still a few problem cases to be clarified at the Austrian ICE clubs. Stadiums and overseas travel cause problems “The situation north of the Brenner is a headache. The interim confidence there has evaporated in some places,” says HCB managing director and ICE vice president Dieter Knoll. Clubs like Innsbruck, Dornbirn and Villach are threatened with such a large loss of spectators and costs that it is difficult to think about playing games. It is also still unclear how the situation will be assessed in the AlpsHL venues, most of which have standing room and could therefore be hit hard by requirements.

Even if it can be assumed that a uniform and sustainable spectator concept will be drawn up in the remaining two months, this problem leads to such great uncertainty that serious, economic planning is hardly possible for the clubs. The unexpected announcement also bears witness to this Extension of the transfer stop on the ICE , which is now valid until revoked.

There is also a gradual need for action when it comes to squad planning. Due to the travel restrictions and the applicable quarantine measures, delays in the transfer market are also to be expected. And this is one reason why a postponement of the start of the league is being discussed: Due to the late arrival of the imported players, the training opportunities that are sometimes not yet available and a postponed preparation phase, the start of the season in two months could come too early for some clubs. What happens to the CHL? That's probably why the DEL pulled the ripcord early on and postponed its championship start to early or mid-November as a precautionary measure. However, this is now leading to the German CHL representatives pushing for a postponement of the premier class. Their wish is to postpone the first knockout round by a month so as not to get into trouble in terms of sport and organization. Discussions on this matter are expected to take place in the coming days. The planning phase in the ICE and the AlpsHL also continues with the regular video conferences of the club representatives, because everyone's goal is clear: regular game operations at the fastest possible time.

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Ice hockey season starts in danger

As a precaution, the ICE Hockey League and the Alps Hockey League had chosen a later start to the championship than usual, the start of the DEL and the Champions Hockey League has already been postponed. But now the ice hockey clubs – especially HC Bozen – are facing new uncertainty.

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