Two Villach players in focus

After Austrian ice hockey legend Thomas Vanek announced his retirement in February 2020, all eyes are now on the two Villach natives Michael Grabner of the Arizona Coyotes and Michael Raffl of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Both have already delivered top-class performances on the ice and are now in contention for the coveted Stanley Cup.

Lightning-fast Grabner in Arizona

Grabner is known for his exceptional speed, as he races across the ice at a tremendous pace, allowing him to apply pressure even when shorthanded. The Villach native was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2006 Draft, 14th overall.

This made him only the second Austrian after Vanek to be drafted so early. However, he had to wait until 2009 for his first NHL game, when he played 20 games for Vancouver and recorded eleven points. The forward then moved to the New York Islanders.

Grabner immediately caused a stir and became known throughout the league for his speed. After five successful years with the Islanders, he moved between several teams, and since 2018 he has been on the ice as a free agent for the Arizona Coyotes.

However, things have not gone exceptionally well since then due to various injury absences, and most recently the coach no longer even included him in the regular line-up. But will Grabner be given the opportunity from 1 August in the play-offs to impress with his exceptional skills and play a part in the battle for the trophy?

The Vancouver Canucks were Michael Grabner's first home.

All-rounder Michael Raffl

Raffl is known as a genuine all-round talent, as no matter which forward position or line he plays on, he makes a big impact and is ready for anything. Since beginning his NHL career, he has played on every line from the first to the fourth for the Philadelphia Flyers and has always performed.

He signed his contract with the Flyers in 2013, where he quickly established himself as a penalty-shot specialist. Thanks to consistently solid performances, Raffl repeatedly signed contract extensions in Philadelphia. In March 2019, he extended his contract by another two years.

Most recently, Raffl and his team succeeded in reaching the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, with the Villach native making a notable contribution.

Looking at the Betway Sportwetten, the Philadelphia team are now seventh among the favourites to win the Stanley Cup at odds of 13,00 (as of 21.07.2020). Will Raffl and his team continue to show a strong offence in the battle for the trophy and have a chance of victory?

The Austrians in the NHL

After Vanek hung up his skates at the start of the year, Raffl and Grabner are now the two Austrian talents remaining in the NHL. In the league's history, not many Austrian players have made the leap across the Atlantic onto American ice, despite the NHL having a good eye for recruiting international talent.

Like a Analysis of the league’s international make-up... has shown regarding the league, more than 30 per cent of NHL players currently come from outside North America. Europeans clearly have the upper hand among the international players, led by Sweden and Finland. Switzerland currently has eleven players in the NHL, while Germany has seven.

The proportion of international participants in the world’s strongest ice hockey league has also risen steadily in the past, meaning that the chances of an NHL career could grow in future for further talents trained in Austria.

Raffl and Grabner are excelling in the NHL on North American ice and demonstrating the immense talents that training at Austrian clubs can produce. It will be exciting to see how the two Villach players fare in the battle for the Stanley Cup.