Sporting Director Roger Bader appoints youth coaching staff

“We have assembled a strong coaching team for all youth national teams. I am convinced by these people,” stresses Roger Bader, who, in his role as Sporting Director, appointed and assigned the head coaches and has already briefed them accordingly.

At U20 level, the Swiss coach is relying on continuity. Philipp Pinter has led the U20 as head coach since summer 2023, having previously served as U18 head coach.

The Carinthian's team finished second behind Denmark at last year's U20 World Championship. After four wins, they lost 4:5 to the Scandinavians in the decisive match. At the upcoming U20 World Championship, they will once again compete in Bled, Slovenia, where they will face Kazakhstan, Norway, Slovenia, France and Ukraine.

Philipp Pinter: “The anticipation for the new national team season is already very high. The upcoming age group performed very well at the U18 World Championship two years ago. Several exciting new players will also be joining the group. As the entire coaching staff, we are looking forward to working with the boys and pursuing a major goal together. Only together can we achieve great things – accordingly, the focus is on creating a cohesive and close-knit group. We are very much looking forward to a new season, culminating in Bled. The venue there suits us well.”

Peter Schweda takes over the U18, Johannes Leitner becomes U16 head coach

Having served as U14 and U15 head coach, Peter Schweda was U16 head coach last season and now moves up to the U18. “I am, of course, very grateful to have been entrusted with the role of U18 head coach,” says the Viennese coach, expressing his excitement about the upcoming task.

By spring 2026, the 34-year-old will prepare his team for a significant task: returning to Division IA. The Division IB World Championship will take place in Tallinn (EST) at the end of April 2026. Austria will face Lithuania, Korea, France, Estonia and Italy.

“This year's relegation from Division IA to Division IB is, of course, extremely bitter. Nevertheless, we are determined to rectify this setback as quickly as possible. We are aware that we must neither underestimate any opponent nor overestimate ourselves,” explains Peter Schweda who also worked with the 2008 and 2009 age groups at the Youth Olympic Games 2024 and the European Youth Olympic Festival 2025.

At U16 level, he is succeeded by Johannes Leitner, who had already served as an assistant coach at the European Youth Olympic Festival. “It is a great honour to be entrusted with this role. We want to use every day with the national team to introduce the boys to the level of international ice hockey and prepare them for it – both in terms of our style of play and our standards and principles,” says Leitner.

Sporting Director Roger Bader stresses: “The coaches know what is expected of them. The priority is to develop the players and the respective national team. That is more of a focus than results.”