For Christian Ofner, the renewed appointment is a special confirmation of the path he has chosen. The second World Cup nomination in a row underlines his consistently strong performances at international level.
Intense weeks after the end of the season
After the end of the season in the win2day ICE Hockey League, the Carinthian immediately began intensive preparation for the World Cup. In addition to off-ice training and re-study of the IIHF rules, there were numerous video meetings and analyzes on the program. At the same time, Ofner also had to take a school exam, which he successfully passed shortly before his departure.
“It was a very intense and stressful phase, but I tried to organize everything well,” explains Ofner.
The referee sees his renewed participation in the A World Championships as a great recognition of his work last year: “The first participation was something special, but for me a second nomination in a row means above all that my achievements are recognized. That makes me very proud and shows me that my path is right.”
Move into the knockout round
46 (38.66%)
Preliminary round exit
64 (53.78%)
descent
9 (7.56%)
Experiences from the first A-WM
With his second World Championship, Ofner is now entering the tournament much more experienced. In particular, the processes outside of the actual game action had a lasting impact on him at his first World Cup. “A lot of things are different at a World Cup than in everyday league life, especially the entire environment and communication on the ice,” he says. The international cooperation of the referees is a central factor: “The referees are networked with each other, they hear each other and coordinate in a completely different way than in normal game operations.”
Structured preparation in Austria and Switzerland
According to Ofner, the preparation for the major event was extremely structured. Standards, rule interpretations and special game situations were discussed intensively in several video calls from Austria. After arriving in Switzerland, the program included numerous meetings, video analyzes and joint team building activities. “Those were long, tiring days, but also ones with a lot of team spirit and fun.”
“Enjoy the World Cup and have fun”
Ofner has set himself clear goals for the upcoming missions: “It is important to me to give my best performance in every game, to be well prepared and to work together as a team.” At the same time, he wanted to enjoy the special atmosphere: “Mistakes happen to everyone, so for me it’s also about enjoying the World Cup and having fun with it.”
The ICE referee is particularly looking forward to being on the ice again with the biggest names in international ice hockey. “When a player like Sidney Crosby is at a World Cup, that is of course even more motivation. You usually only know such names from television. Standing on the ice with these players and shaking their hands is a great honor and a special experience.”
ice.hockey , Image: BWL / Eisenbauer
