Yesterday, 7:33 p.m., a hugely disappointing ice hockey season came to an end for the Black Wings with their 38th loss in their 49th league match. The tail light lost in Innsbruck 3: 4 (1: 1, 1: 0, 1: 3). For some Linz cracks, the championship operation goes into overtime. Brian Lebler temporarily storms for title favorite Salzburg, some Austrians from the A-Team help out at the second-rate cooperation club Steel Wings to reach the play-offs. In the important 3:1 home win over Meran, Stefan Gaffal contributed the 1:0, Gerd Kragl was also on board.
The bundling of forces is therefore beginning to bear fruit. “It can only work if everyone pulls together,” emphasizes Black Wings President Peter Nader, who wants to counter rosier times with the new sports director Philipp Lukas. Goalie Thomas Höneckl (currently on loan to Kaufbeuren), Gaffal, Kragl, Lebler, Ramon Schnetzer, Raphael Wolf, Marco Brucker, Niklas Bretschneider, Alexander Lahoda and Emilio Romig will continue on the “Austrian way”, as the club boss calls it. You have ongoing contracts. Rafael Rotter tends to say goodbye. The people of Linz should part with almost all legionnaires. Only defender Martin Stajnoch (Svk) and striker Will Pelletier (Can) have a chance of staying. “We want players who identify one hundred percent with the club,” said Nader, who generally longs for harmony: “The appreciative interaction with each other has been lost in the past. It’s about respect – we demand it, also in terms of external representation .” Those who present themselves decently are also more popular with sponsors. That’s how business works.
There is one more highlight before the ice is thawed. On April 8 (7 p.m.) the friendly international match between Austria and the Czech Republic will take place in Linz.
Source: Nachrichten
