Fees reduced

At the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation Executive Committee meeting in October 2020, the decision was made to reduce licensing fees for ice hockey players in Austria. This measure is intended to make it easier for Austrian clubs to give more children access to ice hockey.

"Every child, regardless of their level of ability, should have the opportunity to play ice hockey. We need to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and act with a focus on success," says President Dr. Klaus Hartmann, who had already announced the plan to reduce fees as an important objective for the 2020/21 season after his election as the new ÖEHV President in June. "We want to bring more children into ice hockey, ease the burden on parents and clubs, and hope this measure will give the sport a boost."

As a result of the Executive Committee decision, there will be no licensing fees up to the U10 category in future – previously, these amounted to twelve euros per child per year. Between U10 and U14, the cost per child per year will be halved to six euros.

At present, around 1.700 children who pursue their favourite sport up to the U14 age category will benefit from this reduction. All Austrian clubs that register their players with the ÖEHV for the various youth championships and competitions will benefit from this financial relief.