EBEL preview

07 Sep 2013 | Alan Ilijic

After four months of vacation, the new EBEL season starts on Saturday September 7th with Dornbirn against Villach.

April 13th is the last date that will give the new EBEL champion. Everyone in the league joins the hunt for the reigning champions, KAC from Klagenfurt. Klagenfurt has again been given big chances to win the championship, but they're not alone.

KAC won the last year's Final with a sweep against the best team in the regular season, the Vienna Capitals. Vienna came first after the regular season, while KAC didn't have a season to remember. They came in the consolidation stage, but in EBEL, the first 6 teams go directly into the playoffs, while the others fight for the remaining two spots. KAC had to go through the second stage, but then played with high quality and discipline to go and win the EBEL championship.

The new season brings new faces to the championship. After the departure of KHL Medveščak Zagreb for the Kontinetal Hockey League, HC Bolzano from Italy applied to join the league. The most successful team in the history of Italian Ice Hockey League with 19 championships, situated in Bolzano in South Tyrol, founded in 1933, decided they needed a bigger challenge than the Italian League. So, as off 2013/14 season they will compete in EBEL, together with the other teams from Austria, Slovenia and Hungary. HC Bozen Foxes play their home games at Palaonda/Eiswelle in Bolzano. In their history they're holders of 19 Scudetti (Italian League trophy), 3 Italian Cups, 3 Italian Supercups, 1 Alpenliga and 1 Six-Nations Tournament.

With fresh new faces and some old that will finally shake off the summer rust and start playing hockey. It all happens this weekend.

EC Red Bull Salzburg will be uncomfortable to play against this year. They had some key arrivals: Troy Milam (Sparta Prague), Garrett Roe (Adirondack Phantoms) and Brian FAhey (Vityaz Podolsk). Most of the players trade within the league so Mike Ouellette changed from Linz to Vienna, Fabian Weinhandl traded to KAC.

The current champions will travel to Vienna for their opening game. "We're eager to get onto the ice, the first game is always special", said Christer Olsson, KAC coach. "Vienna is very talented and and showed some aggressive hockey during the European Trophy. But they will have to fight for every single inch of the ice against us."

KAC is the team that traded little, but cautious. They added Weinhandl in net, Thomas Pöck (Lake ErieMonsters) and Colton Fretter (EHC München). They saw some key departures in Raphael Herburger (Biel), Kevin Doell, Tom Zanoski, Andy Chiodo, Thomas Hundertpfund (Timra) and a career end for veteran Gregor Hager.

Dornbirn were very active during the summer, as well as Znojmo and SAPA Fehervar, while HC Bozen will pose a threat to everyone being a new team, unknown to others.

Eurohockey.com's Power Rankings:

1. EC KAC

2. Red Bull Salzburg

3. Vienna Capitals

4. Graz 99ers

5. Black Wings Linz

6. Villach

7. Znojmo

8. SAPA Fehervar

9. Olimpija Ljubljana

10. Innsbruck

11. Dornbirn