Austria’s U20 preparing for the World Cham­pi­onship against Slovenia and Hungary

A total of 29 players have been called up by U20 head coach Philipp Pinter in Graz. The squad even includes U16 national team player Paul Sintschnig, as well as several players from the U18: "We have a very exciting squad here. Brothers Ivan and Vasily Zelenov are also involved for the first time. The squad has great depth. We have a strong collective, with an extremely good goaltending tandem." Vasily Zelenov was drafted by Buffalo at No. 204 in the most recent NHL Draft and currently plays for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL.

Philipp Pinter has both creative and two-way players at his disposal and will ice four balanced lines: "I think we will be very solid defensively. Our defencemen are very present both in terms of their play and physically." According to the Villach native, it will be important to define roles clearly: "So that everyone has their task and also feels valued. We will have players who will be responsible for the power play and players who will be responsible for the penalty kill."

The core of the national team has known each other for years. The atmosphere is good and the new players have been integrated quickly. "The preparation is intensive. We have perfect conditions here in Graz and train twice a day. We want to quickly get up to the high pace that awaits us next week and are working on various areas such as forechecking, the neutral zone and special teams. We have noticed in the past that we need to be more consistent in these areas. That can make the difference in the end," says Philipp Pinter.

Two more warm-up matches will be played before the start of the World Championship. Austria will first face Slovenia in Budapest on Thursday, followed by Hungary on Friday. Two nations they will also meet at the World Championship, Philipp Pinter: "The tests are important so that we can get used to the pace. The result itself is not the priority. We will get some indication of what the opposition do. Within our own team, the players will be fighting for a permanent place. It is tough competition. We want to put what we have trained into practice and can still make adjustments shortly before the World Championship."

Sporting Director Roger Bader adds: "It is a good thing that Hungary is organising this tournament as part of the preparations. These tests help the coaching staff find the final World Championship team and prepare it tactically for the World Championship."

World Championship preparations

Slovenia vs. Austria
Thu, 5 December 2024, 16:15, Budapest (HUN)

Austria vs. Hungary
Fri, 6 December 2024, 16:00, Budapest (HUN)

2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division IA

9 December 2024 - 15 December 2024, Bled (SLO)
Participants: Norway, France, Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia

Austria vs. France
Mon, 09 December 2024, Ledena dvorana Bled, 12:30
 
Norway vs Austria
Tue, 10 December 2024, Ledena dvorana Bled, 16:00
 
Slovenia vs Austria
Thu, 12 December 2024, Ledena dvorana Bled, 16:00

Austria vs Hungary
Fri, 13 December 2024, Ledena dvorana Bled, 12:30

Denmark vs Austria
Sun, 15 December 2024, Ledena dvorana Bled, 12:30

All information on the official IIHF website: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2025/wm20ia

Squad