Bernhard Starkbaum: “Getting better from shot to shot”
He lives in the moment, he works in the moment and he looks to the moment – Bernhard Starkbaum, named Man of the Match against Germany last Saturday, has been with the national team since the last team camp and is preparing intensively for the 2023 World Championship. In the interview, Austria’s No. 1 looks back on the season, talks about the national team and passing on his knowledge to the next generations. On Thursday, Starkbaum and the national team face Czechia in a warm-up game at Vienna’s Steffl Arena, live on ORF SPORT + at 18:30. The return match follows in Brno (CZE) on Saturday, with ORF SPORT + broadcasting live at 16:00.
8 min read
Bernhard, this year you reached the semi-finals of the win2day ICE Hockey League with the spusu Vienna Capitals. Were you able to achieve the season’s targets?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “After finishing sixth in the regular season, the quarter-final against Die Haie went pretty much as we had planned. Unfortunately, we came up short against Bolzano in the semi-finals, but we were able to keep the games close and showed that, as a team with many domestic players, we can compete with a top team featuring many imports.”
What about you personally? What goals do you set yourself for the season or now for the national team?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “My goal is always simply the moment. That is what I can influence. Thinking about the third or fourth game already achieves nothing and is the wrong approach. I try to improve from training session to training session, from shot to shot. The goal is to be prepared when the shot comes, not to think too far ahead, to stay in the moment and do my job.”
You have already experienced a great deal in your long career, played four years in Sweden, won the title with Red Bull Salzburg in 2018, spent a short time playing in Switzerland and have been with the spusu Vienna Capitals since December 2018. What role do you play within the team?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “I see myself as part of the team. I have certainly experienced quite a lot, but I always try to be authentic. Whether a player is young or established, domestic or an import, I am honest and speak my mind. And of course, I always try to get the best out of the team, lead by example with a positive attitude and commitment in training, and make my contribution to the team.”
Since last week, the final phase of the season has, so to speak, begun for you. With the national team, you are right in the middle of preparations for the 2023 World Championship. Do you still enjoy joining the national team?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “Yes. I always enjoy playing for the national team. I think there is sometimes nothing better than hearing the national anthem and playing against the best nations and players in the world, measuring yourself against them. Good preparation is part of it; otherwise, you cannot compete.”
What is next after the World Championship?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “First of all, it will be about winding down and spending more time with my family, who have already had to take a back seat during the play-offs. Even now, I am only home for short periods at a time. I am simply looking forward to being able to spend time with the children, letting everything sink in and properly rounding off the season. Then, in the summer, there is my training camp for children and young people, which I have to prepare for myself and organise in every respect.”
What is your objective with the training camp for aspiring goaltenders? What vision are you pursuing?
Bernhard Starkbaum: “My goal is to support young Austrian goaltenders. I think we have a gap in that regard in Austria. There is a lot of catching up to do. It should be educational for the kids, successful for everyone involved and, of course, fun. It is about teaching technique from the ground up, going through every detail – from the basic stance and the fundamentals to the movement patterns that should be fully automatic in a game. I deliberately chose the final week of July in the summer (editor’s note: the camp will be held from 24 to 28 July at the Steffl Arena in Vienna), as goaltenders have little time during the season to work on technique and other things. That is why it is important to start skating in the summer and internalise all the details as early as possible, as they can make a big difference later in games. That is what I want to teach the children and young people, and anyone who is interested can find out more and register directly via my website at www.bsgoaliecoaching.at. The camp is designed and suitable for goaltenders from U8 upwards.”
Squad update
Benjamin Baumgartner has been ruled out at short notice for the current team camp and the two warm-up games against Czechia as he is still recovering from an injury.
Squad for World Championship preparation week #4
# | Surname | First name | Pos | Height | Weight | Date of birth | L/R | Club | GP | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | KICKERT | David | GK | 188 | 81 | 16.03.94 | L | EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) | 84 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
31 | MADLENER | David | GK | 187 | 88 | 31.03.92 | L | Pioneers Vorarlberg Eishockeyclub (AUT) | 63 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
29 | STARKBAUM | Bernhard | GK | 186 | 91 | 19.02.86 | L | EV spusu Vienna Capitals | 145 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
1 | VORAUER | Florian | GK | 187 | 79 | 09.12.99 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
20 | BRUNNER | Nico | D | 181 | 78 | 17.09.92 | L | EV spusu Vienna Capitals (AUT) | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
28 | KIRCHSCHLÄGER | Erik | D | 178 | 79 | 04.02.96 | L | Moser Medical Graz99ers (AUT) | 64 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
8 | LINDNER | Luis | D | 180 | 71 | 16.05.01 | L | American International College (USA) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
12 | MAIER | David | D | 187 | 85 | 12.01.00 | R | EC-KAC (AUT) | 42 | 1 | 6 | 47 |
25 | NICKL | Thimo | D | 188 | 80 | 04.12.01 | R | AIK Stockholm (SWE) | 11 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
5 | REINBACHER | David | D | 189 | 85 | 25.10.04 | R | EHC Kloten (SUI) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
24 | STRONG | Steven | D | 183 | 87 | 16.02.93 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 50 | 6 | 2 | 26 |
13 | WIMMER | Philipp | D | 193 | 93 | 13.12.01 | L | EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) | 19 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
32 | WOLF | Bernd | D | 178 | 84 | 23.02.97 | L | HC Lugano (SUI) | 62 | 2 | 11 | 32 |
14 | ZÜNDEL | Kilian | D | 179 | 80 | 17.01.01 | R | HC Ambri-Piotta (SUI) | 39 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
26 | ACHERMANN | Oliver | F | 195 | 93 | 16.01.94 | R | HC La Chaux-de-Fonds (SUI) | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
10 | BALTRAM | Florian | F | 180 | 81 | 25.03.97 | L | EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) | 19 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
15 | FELDNER | Nico | F | 188 | 88 | 11.10.98 | R | Hockey-Club TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie (AUT) | 22 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
6 | GAFFAL | Stefan | F | 182 | 80 | 24.11.96 | R | Steinbach Black Wings Linz (AUT) | 21 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
17 | GANAHL | Manuel | F | 182 | 81 | 12.07.90 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 126 | 23 | 24 | 105 |
21 | HAUDUM | Lukas | F | 183 | 84 | 21.05.97 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 89 | 21 | 23 | 36 |
27 | HUBER | Paul | F | 193 | 101 | 10.06.00 | L | EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) | 22 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
4 | KRAUS | Nikolaus | F | 182 | 81 | 21.11.96 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
7 | MAXA | Felix | F | 187 | 90 | 14.11.97 | L | EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV (AUT) | 25 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
19 | NEUBAUER | Henrik | F | 183 | 90 | 15.04.97 | R | Eishockeyclub Zeller Eisbären (AUT) | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
9 | ROMIG | Emilio | F | 175 | 81 | 19.09.92 | L | Steinbach Black Wings Linz (AUT) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
22 | SCHWINGER | Simeon | F | 182 | 75 | 07.10.97 | L | EC-KAC (AUT) | 28 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
23 | THALER | Lucas | F | 180 | 76 | 21.01.02 | R | EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) | 13 | 6 | 3 | 27 |
11 | WALLNER | Leon | F | 184 | 82 | 01.07.02 | R | Söertälje SK (SWE) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | ZWERGER | Dominic | F | 183 | 93 | 16.07.96 | L | HC Ambri-Piotta (SUI) | 51 | 13 | 14 | 29 |
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| ∅ | 184,2 | 84,03 | 25,7 |
|
| 1.094 | 93 | 116 | 448 |
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SENIOR MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATION SCHEDULE:
Training camp 1
2–6 April 2023, Villach
Training camp 2
9–14 April 2023, Innsbruck
Training camp 3
17–22 April 2023, Deggendorf (GER)
Training camp 4
25–29 April 2023, Vienna
Team Camp 5
2–6 May 2023, Kapfenberg
FRIENDLY MATCHES
(subject to change)
Austria vs Slovenia 3:5 (1:2, 2:1, 0:2)
Thu, 6 April 2023, 17:30, Villach
Austria scorers: Emilio Romig (20./PP1), Nico Feldner (25./PP1, 28.)
Slovenia scorers: Blaž Tomaževič (7.), Jan Drozg (15.), Ken Ograjenšek (31.), Robert Sabolič (52./PP1), Žiga Pance (59./SH1/EN)
Italy vs Austria 2:0 (0:0, 1:0, 1:0)
Wed, 12 April 2023, 20:00, Bruneck (ITA)
Italy scorers: Marco Defrancesco (30.), Peter Spornberger (50./PP1)
Austria vs Italy 3:2 after penalties (2:0, 0:1, 0:1, 0:0, 1:0)
Fri, 14 April 2023, 17:30, Innsbruck
Austria scorers: Felix Maxa (12.), Simeon Schwinger (18.), Dominic Zwerger (decisive penalty shot)
Italy scorers: Marco José Antonio Magnabosco (27.), Alex Petan (58.)
Germany vs Austria 2:0 (2:0,0:0,0:0)
Thu, 20 April 2023, 19:30, Deggendorf (GER)
Germany scorers: Dominik Bokk (2./PP1), Parker Tuomie (6.)
Germany vs. Austria 2:3 after penalty shootout (1:2,0:1,1:0,0:0,0:1)
Sat, 22 April 2023, 17:00, Landshut (GER)
Austria goalscorers: Lukas Haudum (7 / PP1), Henrik Neubauer (29 / PP1), Lukas Haudum (65 / decisive penalty) - Lukas Haudum, Henrik Neubauer and Dominic Zwerger all scored for Austria in the penalty shootout. Goaltender Bernhard Starkbaum saved all of Germany's attempts.
Austria vs. Czechia
Thu, 27 April 2023, 18:30, Vienna
Live on ORF Sport+
Czechia vs. Austria
Sat, 29 April 2023, 16:00, Brno (CZE)
Live on ORF Sport+
Austria vs. Slovakia
Thu, 4 May 2023, 18:30, Kapfenberg
Live on ORF Sport+
Slovakia vs. Austria
Sat, 6 May 2023, 16:00, Trencin (SVK)
Live on ORF Sport+
86TH IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
12 May 2023 - 28 May 2023, Tampere (FIN) and Riga (LAT)
Group A, Tampere: Finland, USA, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France, Austria, Hungary
Group B, Riga: Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, Kazakhstan, Slovenia
Schedule
Dates and times refer to our local time zone, with the local time shown in brackets.
France vs. Austria
Sat, 13 May 2023, 11:20 (12:20 local time)
Sweden vs. Austria
Sun, 14 May 2023, 19:20 (20:20 local time)
Denmark vs. Austria
Tue, 16 May 2023, 15:20 (16:20 local time)
USA vs. Austria
Wed, 17 May 2023, 15:20 (16:20 local time)
Austria vs. Germany
Fri, 19 May 2023, 19:20 (20:20 local time)
Austria vs. Finland
Sat, 20 May 2023, 15:20 (16:20 local time)
Austria vs. Hungary
Mon, 22 May 2023, 19:20 (20:20 local time)
All information and the full schedule can be found at www.iihf.com
