No Austria Cup

Due to the continued high number of Covid-19 infections in Austria, the lockdown extended until 7 February and the spread of virus variants, the Executive Committee of the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation (ÖEHV), in consultation with the ICE Hockey League, has decided to forgo the IIHF break and hosting the Austria Cup this year.

"I spoke at length with League President Jochen Pildner-Steinburg about the current situation. We sought a joint solution in the interests of Austrian ice hockey and agreed that we would not make use of the national team break in February. We will also not take part in any international tournaments at men's youth level," explains ÖEHV President Dr Klaus Hartmann. "Unfortunately, the risk of infection cannot be completely ruled out. However, ÖEHV has developed a detailed and well-designed prevention concept for its events, which was used at the recent training camps of the men's U20 national team and the women's national team. With the help of strict measures and daily testing, the preparation weeks, including international participation, were demonstrably held successfully. Naturally, we would also have applied this at the Austria Cup."

However, ten days ago, two nations from the field of participants, Norway and Denmark, withdrew their commitment due to the Covid-19 regulations in their countries. In addition to France, which would have been a regular participant in the tournament, Slovenia would have stepped in for a three-nation tournament from 11 to 13 February.

The two presidents also discussed the further schedule for 2021. The national team's next fixtures are scheduled for April and May: the Euro Hockey Challenge with six games on the one hand, and a replacement tournament for the cancelled IIHF World Championship on the other. At the end of August, the final round of Olympic qualification against Slovakia, Belarus and Poland will take place, and the national team is preparing intensively for it. In addition to a kick-off in July, a multi-day training phase ahead of this crucial tournament in Slovakia is scheduled for August.

"I think it is good that ÖEHV and the League have found a solution together. Joint initiatives are good for Austrian ice hockey. We are looking positively towards the future and the next tasks. We hope that we can return to regular international fixtures in April and still play games with the national team this season," explains Sporting Director Roger Bader.

NATIONAL TEAM FIXTURES

April 2021: Euro Hockey Challenge
Participants: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany

May 2021: Replacement tournament for the cancelled IIHF World Championship Division IA
Participants: Austria, Slovenia, France, Romania, South Korea?