New era in Vienna

Capitals restart with ten percent more budget

While Salzburg is celebrating its third ice hockey title in a row, the Caps are starting a new era after a horror season. Coach and goalie are currently the most pressing personnel issues - for which more money is available. 

They have been working in the background for years, but Franz Kalla's departure from the Caps puts them in the front row: managing directors Lukas Garhofer and Patrick Wondra. Both just 32 years young, both have been in constant action for the club since corona at the latest. To ensure that Eishockey Wien never goes into the summer break six weeks before the end of the season again in future, the course has been set for months

• The budget for the 2024/25 season is ten percent higher than the last one.

• One candidate for the vacant coaching position has already been in Vienna, and two more are currently on site. The decision will be made soon.

• After the experiences of the last season, sporting director Christian Dolezal's initial focus on the player market is on a top goalkeeper. Captain Mario Fischer is hanging on for a year.

• Dolezal - who knows the club inside out - is starting from a defensive position, as the best Austrians in an already small market have long been under contract with the competition. Which is why, in season one after Hans Schmid, the proportion of legionnaires will be higher than one would actually wish.

Regular talks are taking place in the background about the new board, from which the president will also come after the Hans Schmid era - both issues will be concluded before the start of the season. And the talks with the City of Vienna on infrastructure are also 90 percent of the way there. "We're not getting bored, but it gives us strength to see that our efforts to spread the load in the club over several shoulders will soon pay off," says Garhofer.

Raffl was the best 

While in Salzburg the third title in a row is being celebrated extensively after the 6-2 triumph in game seven at the KAC. This hat-trick is an ice hockey league premiere! The 37-year-old Tom Raffl was voted most valuable play-off player (MVP).

Salzburg's Thomas Raffl celebrates with the championship trophy.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

 With eleven goals (eight assists), the captain scored more often than any other crack before him in a post-season. It is the veteran's seventh league title. He marched away at Salzburg, which had experienced some ups and downs during the season. Until the glorious showdown: "For a native of Villach, there's nothing better than becoming champion in Klagenfurt."