Montreal Cana­diens draft Vinzenz Rohrer

Vinzenz Rohrer was selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the tenth pick in the third round and 75th overall, making him the second player from Vorarlberg to be drafted by an NHL club within 21 months, following Marco Rossi, who was selected ninth overall in the first round by Minnesota Wild in October 2020.

The 17-year-old Feldkirch native excelled with the Ontario Hockey League side Ottawa 67's, recording 48 points (25 goals and 23 assists) in 64 regular-season games, as well as four points in the playoffs (one goal, three assists). He was also one of the standout players in Austria's red-and-white jersey at the U20 World Championship in Canada, which was abandoned due to COVID 19, thanks to his fearless style of play.

Rohrer's brief statement on the Canadiens' Twitter account was as carefree as his style of play on the ice: "Bonjour Montréal, I am currently in Montreal, I am really excited to be here and I think I have to learn French now!"

Rohrer touched by the reactions

Vinzenz Rohrer was overwhelmed by the many reactions from those around him and from the fans: "This is incredible, so many people are writing to me, all the congratulations. But of course, now it is about continuing to work; this was only a small step in the right direction. Now it is also about enjoying it a little; I want to embrace the moment as best I can. It is an incredible experience, what happened at the draft. To be drafted by Montreal in Montreal's arena, that is incredible!"

The Canadiens won 24 editions of the Stanley Cup __OEHV_NUM_P_A__ times, making them the NHL's record champions. However, their last title came some time ago, with the “Habs” last winning the Stanley Cup in 1992/1993. In 2021, the team led by star goaltender Carey Price reached the final, but lost the best-of-seven series to Tampa Bay Lightning 1:4. The Canadiens have played their home games at the aforementioned Bell Centre, an arena with a capacity of 21.273 fans, since 1996, and it is the venue for the NHL Draft 2022.

Montreal held the first overall pick in the NHL Draft 2022 the previous day and selected Slovak left winger Juraj Slafkovsky. 

Styria native Luca Auer, whose name had increasingly been mentioned in connection with the NHL Draft in recent days, was not selected by any team in the NHL Draft 2022. After strong performances with the Red Bull Juniors in the Alps Hockey League, Auer made his debut for EC Red Bull Salzburg last year and gained his first Ice Hockey League experience.

In twelve games, the forward scored one goal and featured alongside Marco Kasper and Vinzenz Rohrer at the U20 World Championship in Red Deer and Edmonton. That he was already on the radar of overseas scouts became clear on 1 July 2022: Auer was selected by Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League in the first round of the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, at 25th overall.

Marco Kasper selected by the Detroit Red Wings a day earlier

ÖEHV national team player Marco Kasper as early as Thursday night into Friday. The centre was selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Red Wings General Manager and NHL legend Steve Yzerman announced the Klagenfurt native's selection. Since then, the 18-year-old has been in high demand. His Instagram account alone has gained more than 2.000 new followers in the hours since the announcement, and the trend is rising.

On the Red Wings' social media channels, Kasper is the man of the moment and is repeatedly showcased to great effect. With his likeable appearances, Austria's NHL prospect is winning over fans in Motor City and Hockeytown in the US state of Michigan by storm.

Marco Kasper selected by Detroit Red Wings