Tournament victory and plenty of insights: youth teams take stock

From 2. to 8. November, six youth national teams of the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation were in action. The men's U20, U18 and U16 teams played Four Nations tournaments in Aalborg, Budapest and Gyor. The men's U18 team claimed the tournament victory. The women's U18, U16 and U14 teams held camps in Villach, where the U18 home World Championship will be played in January. Here, the head coaches take stock.

Men's U20

The U20 national team, coached by Philipp Pinter, recorded one win and two defeats at the Four Nations tournament in Aalborg. In the opening game against hosts Denmark, Austria were 0:3 behind after seven minutes, fought their way back and ultimately lost 3:5, with the final goal scored into an empty net. This was followed by a 3:0 victory over Ukraine. Goalkeeper Lucas Fritz, still only 16 years old, kept the team in the game with strong saves in the second period and did not concede. The tournament concluded with a defeat against Norway. As several players from North America were unavailable, a number of younger players were given their opportunity. The World Championship takes place in Budapest from 6. to 12. December.

Philipp Pinter, head coach of the men's U20 team: "At times, we performed very well, especially considering that we had a genuinely young team. It was clear to see that at this level you have to play with extreme focus, consistency and tactical discipline, and stay out of the penalty box. My overall assessment is entirely positive. We gained a good idea of which players have realistic chances of making the World Championship squad. Now it is about finding the right characters who put team success ahead of individual success."

Women's U18

The women's U18 team, coached by Levente Szilagyi, held a camp in Villach from 4. to 8. November, at the venue where the home World Championship will be played in January. This allowed the team to become accustomed to the rink and conditions at an early stage. The programme was deliberately intensive: there were two lengthy ice sessions, one off-ice session and a team meeting every day. To conclude the camp, the team played twice against a Carinthian selection. To ensure that all players received equal ice time and could be assessed, some national team candidates switched to the opposing team. The main camp begins on 30. December, the final stage before the home World Championship.

Levente Szilagyi, head coach of the women's U18 team: "It was an important step in our World Championship preparations. We wanted to see how the players respond with tired legs and tired minds, which is why the workload was deliberately high. We gained valuable insights into the players, the group and our structure. The players worked hard throughout the week."

Men's U18

The U18 national team, coached by Peter Schweda, won the Four Nations tournament in Budapest. They opened with a 4:1 victory over Slovenia: after a scoreless first period, Austria decided the game with three goals in the middle period. Another 4:1 success followed against hosts Hungary, with two goals scored on the power play. This meant the tournament victory was already secured before the final day. The concluding game against Italy ended in a 1:3 defeat, with the final goal conceded into an empty net. The team will come together again in February, when attention will already turn to the World Championship in Lithuania from 24. to 30. April 2027.

Peter Schweda, head coach of the men's U18 team: "Overall, it was an absolutely positive week. We saw many good things, and the team spirit and standards were excellent. You have to give the boys credit for not taking the final game lightly despite having already secured the tournament victory. We also saw who can fulfil which role. That is extremely valuable for our training camp in February and with a view to the World Championship."

Women's U16

The women's U16 national team, coached by Tomas Kala, held a selection camp in Villach from 6. to 8. November. 22 players took part, while around 20 others were absent: some were attending the women's U18 camp at the same time, while others are currently playing overseas or were unable to attend for other reasons. In addition to their ice sessions, the players also completed fitness tests. The Four Nations tournament in Villach is scheduled for December, while the season highlight is the European Cup U16 in Poland at the end of April.

Tomas Kala, head coach of the women's U16 team: "The camp in Villach was a very important opportunity for us to get to know new players while continuing to follow the development of those we already knew. It is particularly pleasing that we have exceptionally strong squad depth this year. This shows how many players are currently available to us and how much potential there is in our age group."

Men's U16

The men's U16 team, coached by Johannes Leitner, concluded the Four Nations tournament in Gyor with one win and two narrow defeats. Austria opened with a 2:3 loss to Italy, followed by a 6:4 victory over Slovenia the next day. The tournament concluded with another 2:3 defeat against hosts Hungary. The team had to do without around ten players: two players were on duty with the U18 team, while several others were absent through injury or illness. Seven to eight players were taking part in an international tournament for the first time. Several players were given bigger roles, including on the power play and in the leadership group.

Johannes Leitner, head coach of the men's U16 team: "Given the number of absences, the performances were certainly positive. The tactical package we want to convey was very well received. There was a clear improvement against Slovenia, while against Hungary the tank was a little empty. Particularly positive: the players who came in took responsibility and led the group well from day one. Our message to the boys is to take the habits and standards of international ice hockey back to their clubs and set an example there."

U14 Women

The U14 Women, led by head coach Silvio Trojer, held their first scouting camp of the season in Villach from 4 to 6 November. 45 players from several age groups took part in the so-called Try-in Camp. Players already known to the coaching staff attended the U16 camp at the same time, in consultation with the U16 coaches. With two on-ice sessions per day and several off-ice sessions, the programme was very demanding for the young athletes. In December, a selection of 25 players will follow, with at least one international match to be played.

Silvio Trojer, head coach of the U14 Women: "It is extremely positive that these age groups already have a very good basic education. This shows that very good work is being done in the clubs. It was also impressive to see the discipline and ambition with which the players worked over the three days. With the new women's training centre in Villach, we now have perfect conditions to continue along the path we have taken."