Gasteiner and VKB-Bank are new to the Black Wings

Just in time for the first home game of the season (today from 7:15 p.m. against Nove Zamky), the Steinbach Black Wings unveiled the new jersey for the upcoming ice hockey season in the win2day ICE Hockey League. Two new sponsor logos can be seen on it, those of VKB-Bank and Gasteiner Mineralwasser. Both sponsors have joined Linz as premium partners and do not see the financial support (each a six-figure euro amount) as sponsorship, but as a partnership “through which both sides can benefit.”

“We decided on this partnership because we are represented by the Black Wings nationwide, which suits us very well after the opening of our branches in Vienna and Salzburg,” said VKB board spokesman Markus Auer. Spitz Managing Director Walter Scherb has been a Black Wings fan for many years and sees ideal connections: “Athletes need water and minerals, and we can help with our Gasteiner mineral water brand.”

In addition to the economic expansion with the two sponsors, the Black Wings are also adding Christoph Heindl to their board of directors. The managing director of Bichler Installations und Sanitary GmbH was already indirectly very close to the club through his son, who plays in the youth club of Linz, and will be actively involved in the future with his broad network and management experience as vice president.

350 fans mentioned by name on their jersey

Another part of the economic success is the income from the fans on match days. And they are also shown on the home jerseys for the first time this year. The names of the first 350 season ticket holders were printed on the mid-blue stripe on the cracks’ belly. As of today, the people of Linz have already sold more than 1000 season tickets for the coming season. That’s an increase of 50 percent over the previous season. “Economic success depends on sporting success,” said President Peter Nader, who made qualifying for the playoffs his goal for the season.

Head coach Philipp Lukas is currently working on this sporting goal with his team in the pre-season. In a first friendly today, the people of Linz will host the Slovakian first division club Nove Zamky, who also made a guest appearance in Linz last year and won 3-1. However, the new wash will not celebrate its premiere until the competitive debut in the Linz-AG-Eisarena on September 17th.