Second ice rink in Villach celebrates topping-out ceremony
The shell is complete and the roof is on: a topping-out ceremony on Wednesday marked the progress made on the construction of Villach's second ice rink. Representatives of the construction companies and politicians celebrated this important step towards completion, which is scheduled for October this year. The official opening is planned for November. “We are on schedule,” says Villach Mayor Günther Albel. “The central technical elements are currently being installed, which will cool both ice surfaces in future – the one in the existing rink and the one in the new building.”
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Albel referred at the topping-out ceremony to sport as a location factor: “It brings the city to life, strengthens tourism, creates jobs and keeps young people in the region.” Anyone who viewed infrastructure solely through the lens of short-term costs would lose sight of quality of life and future opportunities in the long term.
“The second ice rink supports children, young people, schools, clubs, grassroots and elite sport. It enables exercise, health and social interaction. In addition, Villach will receive Austria’s first women’s ice hockey performance centre and the opportunity to host events in the new rink, such as concerts. This is a major package from which the population will benefit enormously,” emphasised Albel along with City Councillors Erwin Baumann (FPÖ), Christian Pober (ÖVP) and Harald Sobe (SPÖ) in a joint statement. Villach’s city government also thanked the project partners, the federal government and the state of Carinthia, which are contributing a total of more than 13 million euros. Without this funding, the project would not be feasible.
For Vice-Chancellor and Sports Minister Andreas Babler the “topping-out ceremony is more than the traditional milestone of a construction project. It marks an important step towards strengthening girls and women in sport. With the new federal performance centre for women’s ice hockey, we are creating modern infrastructure, improving training conditions for female athletes and supporting female ice hockey talents on their path to elite sport.”
Governor Peter Kaiser highlighted the appeal of the project: “With KAC and VSV, Carinthia is the home state of Austrian ice hockey. The fact that the new rink is accompanied by the establishment of a federal women’s ice hockey performance centre is not only confirmation, but also a widely recognised enhancement for Carinthia as a sporting state. As the official responsible for sport and as an ice hockey fan, I am very pleased that this important expansion of ice rink infrastructure in Villach is being implemented.”
For Regional Sports Director Arno Arthofer the completion of the second rink brings “a long-awaited project in the domestic sports infrastructure sector to a conclusion. Not only elite sport will benefit significantly; the additional rink will particularly benefit grassroots and youth sport across numerous disciplines. A day of celebration for the city of Villach and Carinthian sport!”
Klaus Hartmann, President of the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation: “Given the current closures of ice rinks and ice surfaces in Austria, the construction of the second rink in Villach is a strong, positive signal. In autumn 2026, our women’s national team will play its first World Championship in the top division. The federal performance centre for women’s ice hockey being created here is an essential component in the professionalisation of women’s ice hockey and a genuine investment in the future. ÖEHV has been campaigning for years for ice rinks and ice surfaces in Austria to be expanded and modernised. We hope that Villach will serve as a good example for other cities and municipalities.”
