Vanek offers Rossi his support

Marco Rossi is the future. The 19-year-old ice hockey prospect was famously drafted ninth overall by the Minnesota Wild and has a bright future ahead of him in the National Hockey League. Negotiations are currently under way between the Vorarlberg native's agents, Serge Payer and Patrick Piloni, and his future employer.

"We are negotiating, but there is no contract yet," Pillioni told the "Kleine Zeitung". Key issues include bonuses, as well as appearances for ZSC Lions and Austria's U20 national team. Rossi is currently keeping fit in his home town of Feldkirch. "Guerin (note: General Manager of the Minnesota Wild) has assured us that Minnesota plan to let Rossi play right from the start," said Pillioni, although other options are being discussed, including the possibility of him being loaned from ZSC to the Ottawa 67's.

The start will be difficult, but NHL veteran Thomas Vanek has now offered his support as a mentor to the youngster in the USA. "Thomas Vanek offered to help Marco and said that he could stay with him. That is really, really generous of him," said Pilloni, who greatly appreciates Vanek's willingness to lend a helping hand to the promising youngster.

The NHL is eagerly awaiting its restart. While it is still unclear when that will be, a return to the ice is planned for early January 2021. Until then, some players have secured "temporary jobs" in other leagues, although the expected flood of NHL players to Europe has failed to materialise.

There were also rumours that Michael Raffl could play in Austria in the meantime. However, the NHL player, who is about to begin his eighth and, for the time being, final season with the Philadelphia Flyers, has now denied this in the "Kleine Zeitung": "I don't think it will happen."

His wife Kerstin is expecting their second child in the coming weeks, while the Flyers have not yet given him permission to make a move. With NHL training camps ahead of the start of the season, there would not be much time left for an overseas stint to be worthwhile.