Olympic Qualifiers: Austria’s Preparation Squad Announced

The tournament will take place from August 29 to September 1 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The team will gather in Graz next Monday to kick off their preparation. Among the squad are Marco Kasper and David Reinbacher, who were absent from the recent World Championship in Prague. Also joining the team are veterans Johannes Bischofberger and Raphael Herburger. The only notable absentee is Marco Rossi, who had to withdraw due to preseason commitments with the Minnesota Wild. Austria will play their final warm-up match against Slovenia on August 24 in Graz.

“I’m glad to have David Reinbacher and Marco Kasper in the lineup. Both players have valuable World Championship experience and are on track for what we hope will be successful NHL careers. In addition, Johannes Bischofberger and Raphael Herburger are proven assets in international hockey. Although they’ve had to miss recent tournaments for various reasons, they’ve always been key contenders for the World Championship squad,” said Head Coach Roger Bader, discussing the reinforcements added to his team.

In total, the Swiss coach will bring 28 players onto the ice in Graz, but this number will be reduced to 25 after a week of training. The roster includes the core players who fueled excitement during the World Championship in Prague earlier this year, along with the four new additions. Collectively, the Austrian squad boasts 1,757 international appearances, 233 goals, and 312 assists.

Marco Rossi, meanwhile, has committed to preseason training in North America with his NHL team, the Minnesota Wild, and will therefore not participate in the Olympic qualifiers.

The team’s schedule includes four on-ice training sessions before heading to Bled, Slovenia, for their first warm-up game on Thursday night.

On Saturday at 4:00 PM, Austria will host Slovenia, a recent promotion to the top division and a future opponent at the 2025 World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.

“We’ll be fielding the strongest possible Austrian team in Graz. After our outstanding performance in Prague, I’m hopeful that we’ll be playing in front of a packed arena,” said Roger Bader, calling on fans to support the team as they gear up for the Olympic qualifiers.

During the Olympic qualification tournament itself, Austria will face Slovakia, the host nation, in their opening game. This will be followed by a match against Kazakhstan, and they will conclude the tournament with a game against Hungary on Sunday.

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