ICE season opener

Sharks have lost their bite for the Pioneers

Last year, the Pioneers Vorarlberg sent the Innsbrucker Haie into the offseason early.(Bild: HCI / Georgios Papaconstantis)

Seven games, seven defeats - goal difference: 15:32. It took the Pioneers Vorarlberg longer to finally get going against any other team in the ICE Hockey League than the Innsbruck Sharks. But since then, the Tyroleans have lost their terror. Nevertheless, the Feldkirch team has been warned ahead of today's away opener (19:15).

For a long time, the Innsbruck Sharks were the Feldkirch team's absolute nemesis. It was only in February of this year that they achieved their first full success in their eighth encounter - but that broke the spell. Shortly afterwards, the Tyroleans were sent into the offseason early by the Pioneers in the ICE Hockey League pre-playoff with a 6:3 away win and a 5:2 home win.

But the Sharks of that time cannot be compared to the Sharks of today. "They have a new coach and a lot of new players," says Pioneers coach Dylan Stanley, who does not want to overestimate the fact that Innsbruck lost all seven players in the preseason. "They played against some really good opponents." That's why Stanley's focus was more on his own team: "We're delighted that it's finally starting and are excited to see where we currently stand."