Despite his sporting success, Jochen Pildner-Steinburg is critical of current developments in domestic ice hockey. The former league president primarily sees structural problems – especially with finances and sponsorship.
“Ice hockey lives from patrons”
According to Pildner-Steinburg, the sponsorship landscape in Austria is largely exhausted. Large donors are increasingly turning to other sports such as football, making ice hockey increasingly dependent on individuals. Above all, the loss of great personalities and investors such as Dietrich Mateschitz, Hans Schmid and Heidi Horten left its mark. This makes the commitment of Herbert Jerich, who is currently the driving force in Graz, all the more important.
Criticism of league structure
Pildner-Steinburg was critical of the ICE Hockey League itself in the “Kleine Zeitung”. Despite the stable clubs, he sees the league as a whole as having “feelings of clay”. He initiated reforms during his time as league president, but they were not implemented. In his view, there is still an urgent need for action to make the league stable and competitive in the long term.
Pildner-Steinburg’s conclusion: Without structural adjustments, domestic ice hockey will continue to face challenges off the ice in the future.
Image: win2day ICE Hockey League
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