New Exec­u­tive Board

For the first time in many years, two slates stood in the election for the new Executive Board of the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation. At the 75th General Assembly in Villach on Saturday, the club representatives present elected Dr Klaus Hartmann as the new President. The 59-year-old from Villach prevailed over the incumbent President, Mag. Gernot Mittendorfer, by 133 votes to 121.

On the new four-member Executive Board, Hartmann will be supported by Dr Nicolas Stockhammer, Günther Ropatsch and Mag. Yasmin Sarina Stepina as Vice-Presidents. The new arbitration tribunal consists of Dr Peter Klumpp, Mag. Hannes Arneitz and Dr Alexander Tomanek.

"Our election motto was 'Inclusion instead of exclusion', and that is how we want to approach the next four years," newly elected President Dr Hartmann said in an initial reaction. "The entire Austrian ice hockey family is important to us: children, seniors, para ice hockey, elite and grassroots sport. We will hold talks with everyone who is involved in Austrian ice hockey and wants to lead our ice hockey towards a successful future. Every child, regardless of their performance level, should have the opportunity to play ice hockey. Through recruitment initiatives, we want to bring more children into ice hockey. Naturally, it is a major concern for us to become one of the world's top ice hockey nations and to play in the A Group again in both the women's and men's game. The Federal Performance Centre in Villach is close to our hearts, and we hope that we can implement it as quickly as possible. In the coming weeks, it will be important for ice hockey that an orderly competition schedule can resume soon following the coronavirus-related suspension of play."

Before the election of the Executive Board, the curtailed ice hockey season was reviewed once again at the General Assembly, with the national teams' successes highlighted. In addition, Peter Schramm, who is retiring from ice hockey after more than 20 years as Vice-President, received the Silver Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria.