HCB Südtirol Alperia is currently experiencing a difficult phase. While league rivals HC Pustertal are marching at the top of the table in the ICE Hockey League, the Foxes are literally dragging themselves through the championship with half a squad. Coach Kurt Kleinendorst has been calling for visible progress for weeks – but this has not happened because the injury list simply doesn’t want to get any shorter.
McClure fit again – four more failures
There is at least an initial positive signal: Brad McClure, who has already missed five games, is expected to have fully recovered after the national team break and will return to the lineup in the away game against Ljubljana. The situation remains more difficult with four other players who are out again, as “Sportnews.bz” reports:
- Cristiano DiGiacinto, who suffered a blow with the national team, will not be able to train fully again until next week.
- Mark Barberio, arguably the most important player in the Foxes squad, is working on his return after a muscle strain. He will be out until the end of the month, but could soon complete his first light units.
- Pascal Brunner has to be sidelined for around four weeks due to his injury, but does not require any surgery.
- The biggest concern for Dylan DiPerna is that there is no exact timeline possible with his upper body injury. A comeback in the near future is considered unlikely.
Substitute? Bolzano is currently showing restraint
The question of whether the HCB will react to the transfer market is obvious. But an immediate additional commitment does not seem to be an issue at the moment. Barberio’s downtime is manageable, and as long as there is no clear prognosis for DiPerna and no suitable player with an Italian passport is available, Bozen is unlikely to sign any new legionnaires.
Pustertal is also watching the market – but without pressure
Exciting: Even league leaders HC Pustertal are looking for defensive reinforcements. However, the Wolves are under no pressure to act – Jon Blum’s comeback and the confident lead in the table speak for themselves. A transfer is possible, but neither the name nor the time has been determined.
Image: Vanna Antonello
