KAC sign defen­sive prospect

Homegrown player David Maier returns to his parent club EC-KAC after five years and renowned development spells in Sweden and Canada, where he is expected to establish himself in senior hockey over the coming seasons. The 20-year-old has signed a long-term contract with the "Red Jackets" until the end of the 2022/23 season.

"Following his junior years with our club, David Maier received top-level international development in Sweden and Canada over the past five seasons. He is now among the strongest Austrian players in his age group and is ready to make the transition to professional senior hockey. We have followed his progress closely in recent years and are convinced that David Maier will establish himself as a regular in our first team in the medium and long term. We are delighted that a talented player from Klagenfurt with plenty of international experience is returning to our club," said General Manager Oliver Pilloni.

Maier completed the first part of his development entirely at EC-KAC before moving to the youth department of traditional Swedish club Södertälje in the summer of 2015. Over three years, he worked his way up from the U16 team via the U18 side to the U20 squad, all of whom compete in Sweden's top division for their respective age groups. Over the past two seasons, the defenceman occupied one of the scarce import slots in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), playing at the highest level of Canadian junior hockey. He played 98 league games for the North Bay Battalion and Peterborough Petes during that period, registering 3 goals and 37 assists.

The Klagenfurt native can also already point to considerable experience with the Austrian national team. He made his senior national team debut in April 2019 and has earned six caps to date. Last December, he was one of the key players in Austria's U20 team, which sensationally won gold at the Division 1A World Championship in Minsk and thereby qualified for the World Juniors 2021 as one of the ten best national teams in this age group.

Canadian Andrew Kozek had already enjoyed success with the Black Wings between 2013 and 2016 before moving to Nürnberg in the DEL. Over the past two seasons, the 34-year-old played forward for EC-KAC, recording a total of 46 goals and 24 assists.

Marco Brucker, a versatile Austrian player, will also remain with the Black Wings as he enters his third season in Linz colours. "Over recent years, Marco has earned his place in the team as an honest team-mate and tireless worker," said manager Gregor Baumgartner. "His versatility on the ice is a blessing for every coach. We are truly proud to continue having him in our ranks."