Next Steps: National Team on Track

Image information: From his birthplace of Linz to his current adopted home of Graz: Erik Kirchschläger - Copyright: GEPA pictures/Christian Moser

Team camp 2 in preparation for the World Championship in Finland, 13. – 29 May: As usual, the first week was followed by an initial roster cut; ten players who will no longer be involved in Graz will look to stake their claim for future assignments in the tests against Czechia. Conversely, twelve replacements had to be integrated, Roger Bader: “The players settled in quickly, have also been with the national team more often in recent years and therefore know the processes and the system.”

High tempo, high intensity on the ice and full commitment – the training performances are in line with expectations, Roger Bader: “I am absolutely satisfied. The players are working hard and are fully focused. The impressions from training have been consistently positive. I can see that we are making progress.”

Following the two friendly matches against six-time world champions Czechia last week, the national team will face an up-and-coming ice hockey nation in Poland in Graz on 14 and 16 April, about whom the Head Coach warned about even before the start of the team camp: “Poland are on the verge of moving up to the second-highest World Championship division and are favourites at their home World Championship. They are a tenacious opponent who must first be beaten.”

The aim is to build on the performances from the second test against Czechia and bring what has been worked on in training onto the ice.

The team camp followed EC Red Bull Salzburg’s sweep in the win2day ICE Hockey League final with great interest. “Salzburg deservedly became champions; they were the strongest team this season, and did so with many domestic players, which naturally pleases me in particular. A 4:0 result in a final series perhaps happens only every five or six years. All one can do is congratulate Salzburg on a magnificent championship,” he extends Roger Bader offers his congratulations.

With the title decided early, the Salzburg players will join the national team at the next team camp in Innsbruck. Apart from Dominic Zwerger, Marco Kasper and the North American-based players Michael Raffl and Marco Rossi, the squad will then already be complete.

But for now, the entire focus is on the two internationals against Poland, Roger Bader: “We are looking forward to these two games and hope once again for the support of the fans.”

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Camp I, Linz, from 2 to 8 April 2022
Czechia vs Austria 5:1 (3:0, 2:0, 0:1)
6 April 2022, 17.30, Znojmo
Austria goalscorer: Nico Feldner (48')

Austria vs Czechia 1:4 (1:1,0:1,0:2)
Fri, 08 April 2022, 17:30, LINZ AG Eisarena, 1.850 
Austria goalscorer: Erik Kirchschläger (12')

Camp II, Graz, from 11 to 16 April 2022
14 April 2022, 19:00, AUT – POL in Graz, live on ORF Sport+
16 April 2022, 16:00, AUT – POL in Graz

Camp III, Innsbruck, from 20 to 25 April 2022
23 April 2022, 17:30, ITA - AUT in Bruneck, ITA
24 April 2022, 14:30, AUT – ITA in Innsbruck, live on ORF Sport+

Four Nations Tournament, Ostrava, from 28 April to 1 May
28 April 2022, 19:00, AUT - SWE, Vienna
30 April 2022, 12:00, AUT - FIN in Ostrava
1 May 2022, 16:00, CZE - AUT in Ostrava

Camp IV, Schwenningen
8 May 2022, 17:00, GER - AUT in Schwenningen

Sweden vs Austria
Sat, 14 May 2022, 11:20

Austria vs. USA
Sun, 15 May 2022, 15:20

Czechia vs. Austria
Tue, 17 May 2022, 15:20

Norway vs. Austria
Wed, 18 May 2022, 15:20

Latvia vs. Austria
Fri, 20 May 2022, 19:20

Austria vs. Finland
Sat, 21 May 2022, 15:20

Austria vs. Great Britain
Mon, 23 May 2022, 19:20