Season starts! U16 national team to test them­selves at a strong Four Nations Tour­na­ment in Switzer­land

For new U16 head coach Johannes Leitner and his assistants Christoph Harand, Peter Schweda and Patrick Kühne (goalie coach), the Four Nations Tournament in the canton of Thurgau offers the first opportunity, following the team’s initial joint camp in St. Pölten, to assess the new U16 national team players and watch them on the ice in three match-ups against strong nations.

The coaching staff had assembled the players at the ice rink at the Sportzentrum Niederösterreich in St. Pölten since Friday. Following performance diagnostic tests, the five lines and four goalies completed intensive on- and off-ice training sessions. There were also meetings and team-building activities to prepare the young players for their first tournament together.

The final roster, comprising 21 players and three goaltenders, will now face its first test at the Four Nations Tournament in Romanshorn in the canton of Thurgau. The town in eastern Switzerland, with just over 11.000 inhabitants, is situated on the southern shore of Lake Constance, with matches taking place at the EZO Eissportzentrum-Oberthurgau.

Head Coach Leitner: "Internationally high-calibre tournament!"

Following the opening match against Slovakia on Wednesday, Germany await in the ever-young prestigious clash on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, Austria will face Switzerland in another prestigious clash to conclude the tournament.

Head Coach Johannes Leitner and his team head into the tournament with anticipation and confidence following the successful training camp in the Lower Austrian capital: "We had excellent conditions and an ideal environment in St. Pölten. The tournament in Switzerland is internationally high-calibre. Slovakia, Germany and hosts Switzerland as opponents – that will provide a very good indication right at the start of the season of where we stand with this age group. It will be a major challenge, but everyone is really looking forward to it!"

U16 Four Nations Tournament (Romanshorn, Switzerland):

Austria vs Slovakia

Wed, 20 August 2025, 15:00>> to the RED+ livestream

Austria vs Germany

Thu, 21 August 2025, 18:30>> to the RED+ livestream

Switzerland vs Austria

Fri, 22 August 2025, 15:30>> to the RED+ livestream

Roster: