The Preseason is coming to an end and the new season of Icehl is just around the corner. Time to take a look at the teams and deal with the squads with which the 13 clubs go into the new season. We present the squad, you take over the evaluation: with our survey tool at the end of the article.
A lot has been done in the Steinbach Black Wings Linz in recent years. The fruits of meticulous work around head coach Philipp Lukas could be harvested in the previous year. The Stahlstädter played a blitz -clean basic round, had the third best value of the league with 121 losses and qualified with 30 wins in 48 games as a fourth -placed team for the playoffs. There they prevailed against the Moser Medical Graz99ers in an epic series after seven games-in the semi-finals you finally fail on the EC-KAC. With a lot of euphoria it went to the offseason, where there was a lot of work again. But even this year you get the feeling that the right steps were taken among the Upper Austrians.
TRAINER
Black Wings icon, head coach, Sports Manager. Phil Lukas is simply one of the Black Wings and has done impressive construction work in recent years. The 45-year-old Viennese, who played 15 EBEL play times for the Linz, is of course also in the gang this year. It is also based on continuity in his support staff. Matej Hocevar, Mark Szücs and Jürgen Penker: They are all back on. Lukas
GOALKEEPER
Speaking of continuity: The Black Wings Linz between the posts are completely unchanged. Once again you go into the season with Finn Rasmus Tirrons and the Austro goalie Thomas Höneckl. The 20-year-old Martin Reder, who was able to celebrate his ICE debut in the past season (with a 1: 2 away defeat in Szekesfehrar), can hope for one or the other. At the age of 34, Tirrons already has a lot of experience, the fifth season in the multinational Win2day Ice Hockey League is waiting for him, the fourth in the dress of the Linz. Since his arrival in 2022 he was able to win 54 season games with the Black Wings. Tirrons will also play the majority of the games in the coming season. For the 35-year-old Schwarzacher Thomas Höneckl, the role of the #2 behind Tirrons is nothing unknown, because in the last two game times he came to eleven or ten basic operations. Höneckl, who is already in his 19th (!) Season of the highest domestic division, has already fought the jerseys from Salzburg, Villach, Graz, Dornbirn and Linz in his career. The Black Wings Linz thus provide an extremely experienced goalie duo.
DEFENSE
In the defense, the Stahlstadt residents had to accept one or the other exit: Raphael Wolf, who completed five seasons for the Linz, joined the Vienna Capitals, Ian Scheid, who was the second best point collector among the defenders with 21 points. I signed the American to the Fife Flyers, who participate in the Eihl game operation. In addition to Wolf, another defender switched to the caps. The 22-year-old Lorenz Lindner played a total of 48 games for the Black Wings, now he is facing a new task.
A Lindner out, another in – you could say. Lorenz Lindner’s brother Luis returns to Europe after five years in North America and joined Phil Lukas team. Presumably a transfer coup succeeded in the Linzern with the commitment of the Canadian Ryan Mackinnon. At the age of 31, the right-wing shooter is in the prime, has already had European experience. The past season played Mackinnon at the Slovak Club Spisska Nova Ves and showed his offensive qualities with 33 points in 39 games.
Offensive qualities: Logan Roe, who will also defend this year for Black Wings, has it definitely. With 34 points he was the top point collector from the backend. It is the fourth season on the Danube for the American. Greg Moro, who found his way around in his first year in the first year, goes into his second season, for the native of Linz Gerd Kragl, who goes into his twelfth sasc. Black Wings Juwel Patrick Söllinger took a huge step forward last season and was taken in all 48 basic passes. Three goals and nine points were his yield. In mid -April, the contract was extended with the national team crack. He is still on the Linz salary list for two years. The defender squad of the Black Wings Linz is rounded off by the Austrro-Cracks Christoph Tialler and Niklas Würschl. Both cracks went through junior stations at the EC-KAC, both moved to Linz in 2023. In 2024/25, Würschl showed 20 points, Tialler has had 29 ICE inserts in the past two years and is fighting for more ice age this year.
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| Kader 2025/26 (under contract) | Goal: Rasmus Tirronen, Thomas Höneckl, Martin Reder Defense: Storm: |
| Confirmed approaches: | Luis Lindner (Univ. New Hampshire), Aljaz Predan (Vienna Capitals), Ryan Mackinnon (Nova Ves), Tim Geifes (VSV), Travis Barron (Tucson Roadrunners) |
| Confirmed departures: | Marcel Witting (HC Innsbruck), Raphael Wolf (Vienna Capitals), Ian Scheid, Brodi Stuart, Niklas Bretschneider, Nico Feldner (Graz99ers), Jakob Mitsch, Lorenz Lindner (Vienna Capitals), Kilian Rappold |
| Any departures: | |
| Any approaches/contract extensions: | |
STRIKER
Shawn St-Amant, who was already extremely popular with the audience, became a real monster in the Playoffs 2024/25: in 14 games, ST-Amant scored no less than eleven goals. The great relief during the summer break, because the Canadian will storm for the Upper Austria by 2028. At the age of 28, the Canadian still has many strong seasons in front of him, now the fourth is waiting in the dress of the Linz. So far, he has held 121 points in 130 and has developed into a real top performer. Only two cracks had more points in 2024/25 than ST-Amant. Of course, BwL icon Brian Lebler, who scratched the 30-goal brand again with 28. 44 points were team best and proof that Lebler still has it really, despite his now 37 years. The 14th season in Icehl is now waiting for Graham Knott, which rounds off the top scorer trio that is already fourth. Like ST-Amant, he came to the state capital in the summer of 2022 and immediately became important linchpin in the offensive game of the Linz. In 2023/24, he delivered his previously best ICE season with 58 points. Remarkable: 139 games played Knott at ICE level and was able to score exactly 139 points. Can he continue to keep this cut?
That will definitely depend on the supporting cast of the Upper Austrians. Ken Ograjensek turned out to be a strong commitment last year. With 38 points he finished 4th in the team, the triple Slovenian champion still has a valid contract until the end of the upcoming season. Compatriot Luka Maver, who justified trust in him, is currently laboratory to an injury. It remains to be seen whether he is fit at the start of the season. Routine Sean Collins and the East Tyrolean Andreas Krister are also in the contingent. In his two ICE play times so far, Collins cracked the 30-point mark, Kristler is in the local league before his 20th (!) Season. The Lienzer played exactly 700 season games.
The collaboration with the strikers Brodi Stuart, Marcel Witting, Niklas Bretschneider, Nico Feldner, Kilian Rappold and Maximilian Theirich is over. The Slovenian Aljaz Predan is new to the line of Linz. The 25-year-old stormed in his previous professional career for Salzburg, Laibach and the Vienna Capitals. In 176 games he collected 56 scorer points. Only recently was an important position in the storm department: Travis Barron was piled up as a new center forward to Linz. The 27-year-old moved to Europe for the first time after many years in the AHL and Echl. It remains to be seen whether and how quickly it finds his way around European ice. You also have a “newcomer” in your own ranks: after a long injury break, Emilio is Romig back. The 32-year-old Viennese goes into his nine ICE season and wants to connect to the strong performance of 2023/24. At that time he was the Black Wings Linz with 38 points in 47 missions. The Linz storm contingent is completed by the former 30-point scorer Stefan Gaffal, Henrik Neubauer, Julian Pusnik and Tim Geifes.
Now you are on: Where do you see the Black Wings Linz in the coming season?
Master
3 (4.05 %)
final
14 (18.92 %)
Semi -finals
35 (47.3 %)
Quarterfinals
16 (21.62 %)
Pre-playoffs
4 (5.41 %)
Preliminary round
2 (2.7 %)
www.hockey-news.info, Image: BwL / Eisenbauer
