EC Red Bull Salzburg

The history of ice hockey in Salzburg at the highest level dates back to 1977–78, when the then HC Salzburg took a sensational third place in the first division. Influential players such as Rick Cunningham and Roger Lamoureux (both Canadians) helped to massively increase the popularity of Salzburg ice hockey, and in December 1977 saw the ice rink sold out for the first time. Ten years later in 1988, the Salzburg ice hockey club, now known as Salzburg EC, were once again on course for the title. With strong players such as the Russians Viktor Schalimow and Sergej Kapustin or fine-sounding names such as Greg Holst from Canada or Vienna's Peter Znenahlik, an exciting winter in the "Volksgarten" could be expected. After a strong season which included spell at the top in the preliminary round standings, Salzburg failed to take its first Bundesliga championship, and its ailing economic situation eventually saw the relegation of SEC from the first division.

EC Salzburg were founded in 1995 by the merger of two small clubs EC Morzg and EC Tiefenbach. The EC Morzg originally arose after the bankruptcy of Salzburg EC in 1988 as a refuge for the youth players. Shortly after the foundation, the company Kaindl presented the club with its first major sponsor and the club was renamed to Kaindl EC Salzburg. From the beginning of 2000, drinks manufacturer Red Bull became the team's major sponsor and the club again changed names to represent EC The Red Bulls Salzburg. It was later transitioned to EC Red Bull Salzburg in 2005.

2000–04

Strengthened by players such as Canadian Sheldon Moser and Brian McCarthy of the US, the Red Bulls became champions of the Oberliga as quickly as the 2000–01 season (the Oberliga was then the equivalent of the second division), but weren't quite yet ready for the highest level. Until three years later, that is. The Red Bulls fought their way back to the championship in the Nationalliga, ending the Salzburg ice hockey club's 16 years of absence from the Bundesliga.

2004–06

After increasing the squad intensively – in Austria's ice hockey history, the Salzburg ice hockey club first competed in the Nationalliga with a farm team – the Red Bulls had to learn the hard way in the first Bundesliga season of "recent times", although they did show their potential. Following seventh and last place in the preliminary rounds of the season which saw them promoted, team formation enjoyed an ever more professional environment, and in the second year following promotion, the Red Bulls found themselves in the final of the Erste Bank ice hockey league. In the end, however, they lost to VSV, taking the runner-up spot in the sixth game of the best-of-seven series.

2006–07

Salzburg were finally rewarded in their third 1st division season. After a fabulous regular season contested by eight teams, where the Red Bulls conceded just one out of 28 home games, Salzburg went on to put in a sterling performance in the play-offs as well. Following three successive victories over the Vienna Capitals in the semi-final (best of five), the Red Bulls conceded just one game in the final against VSV in Villach, sealing Salzburg's first ever Austrian ice hockey championship with a score of 4:1 on wins (best of seven). The finals games in Villach, where VSV were backed by an incredibly enthusiastic crowd, their seventh man, were particularly tough. The secret of their success was consistency, the team having been perfectly prepped by head coach Hardy Nilsson. The 59-year-old Swede subsequently retired from active coaching, celebrating the Red Bulls' title and his tenth championship as a coach.

2007–08

For their fourth 1st division season, the Red Bulls were joined in Salzburg by new head coach and sporting director Pierre Pagé as well as a number of new international coaches. In addition to non-playing staff, future captain Stuart Mercer was drafted into the side after a home video being seen on YouTube of him demonstrating 'Phil Harrison-esque tekkers' at Hutton Grammar School. On 25 September 2007, in preparation for the new season, Red Bull played an exhibition match against National Hockey League team, the Los Angeles Kings, losing in an entertaining 7-6 contest.^[1] In his first few months, the 59-year-old Canadian helped set up the International Ice Hockey Development Model (IIDM), laying the foundations for the development of up-and-coming junior players, and also took the unprecedented step of heavily integrating young players into the 1st division squad.

After a regular season full of ups and downs the Red Bulls began the newly introduced intermediate round in third place, then going on to drop another place. But there was no stopping Salzburg in the play-offs: after an exhausting best-of-five series in the quarter final against Villach, they left the Vienna Capitals standing in the semi-final, where they racked up four wins (best of seven). The final against Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana became a real thriller, which ended with the Red Bulls 4:2 ahead on wins after proving better able to hold their nerve. Salzburg therefore managed to bag the title for the second year running, the farm team's second place in the Österreichische Nationalliga also underlining a strong performance.

2008–09

The 2008–09 season saw the Red Bulls narrowly miss out on retaining their title. After an incredibly exciting finals series spanning seven games, they suffered a narrow 1–2 defeat in the final game in Klagenfurt, losing their crown to KAC. The Red Bulls nevertheless end the season with their heads held high, having played some fast-paced and powerful ice hockey with by far the youngest team in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga and impressed an ever-increasing number of Salzburg fans, who made sure the play-off games were always a sell-out. In the second year of his tenure as head coach and sporting director, Pierre Pagé made an even bigger impression than last year: his skill for bringing a number of young, talented players from Austria and abroad together with some of Austria's strongest players – captain Thomas Koch was awarded MVP honours this season – produced a force to be reckoned with as the season progressed, the team having started the championship with an average age of just 23.8. In the context of the Red Bull Hockey Model several talented farm team players were also given their chance in the 1st division, some of them even holding their own in the finals series. The Red Bulls fielded a total of 43 players in the 1st division. The farm team, which largely comprised U-20 players this year, was knocked out in the quarter-final of the Österreichische Nationalliga by EK Zell am See.

2009–10

The 2009–10 season puts all others in the shade. In his third year with the Red Bulls, head coach and sporting director Pierre Pagé single-mindedly pursued his objectives and now the Salzburg ice hockey club has picked up no fewer than three championship titles! In September 2009 the Red Bulls won their own invitation tournament, the Red Bulls Salute, for the first time in its five-year history, beating top-flight European clubs such as CSKA Moscow in the process. In November 2009 and January 2010, Salzburg took part in their third Continental Cup, Europe's most prestigious IIHF club tournament of the season, also lifting the cup after two successful rounds in Latvia and France. The Red Bulls made it an incredible hat trick by winning the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, celebrating their most successful season so far in their ten-year existence as a club. Thomas Koch, who takes the 2009 MVP award, lifted the cup for the first time as captain. Sterling work with the juniors as part of the Red Bull Hockey Model was rewarded with, among other things, the U-20 and U-17 championships. The Red Bulls' farm team was knocked out in the semi-finals of the Österreichische Nationalliga (2nd division) by Dornbirn, who went on to take championship honours, but continued to provide several young talented players with the ideal platform from which to develop. Record breakers: On 12 January 2010, the Red Bulls took on Jesenice in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, fielding a line-up whose average age was just 21.1 years. Overall, 47 Salzburg players made at least one appearance in Austria's premier division.

• Austrian Hockey League:
  • Winners (8): 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014*, 2015, 2016, 2018*^[2]
• Continental Cup:
  • Winners (1) : 2010
• European Trophy:
  • Winners (1) : 2011

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2006–07 Austrian Hockey League season

2006–07 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2006–07 Austrian Hockey League season was the 77th season of the Austrian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Austria. Eight teams participated in the league, and EC Red Bull Salzburg won the championship.

2007–08 Austrian Hockey League season

2007–08 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2007–08 Austrian Hockey League season was the 78th season of the Austrian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Austria. 10 teams participated in the league, and EC Red Bull Salzburg won the championship.

2009–10 Austrian Hockey League season

2009–10 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2009–10 Austrian Hockey League was a season of the Austrian Hockey League.

2010–11 Austrian Hockey League season

2010–11 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2010–11 Austrian Hockey League was a season of the Austrian Hockey League. The 2010-11 season ended with an exciting victory in game 7 of the championship finals for the EC Red Bull Salzburg team.

2013–14 Austrian Hockey League season

2013–14 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2013–14 Austrian Hockey League was a season of the Austrian Hockey League. HC Bolzano defeated EC Red Bull Salzburg in the Championship. As HC Bolzano was from Italy, Red Bull Salzburg was recognized as Austrian champions, while Bolzano was recognized as the overall EBEL winners.

2014–15 Austrian Hockey League season

2014–15 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2014–15 Austrian Hockey League was a season of the Austrian Hockey League. HC Bolzano were the defending Champions after defeating EC Red Bull Salzburg in the 2014 Championship. In the conclusion to the season, EC Red Bull Salzburg won the double in the League standings and the Championship.

2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season

2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season began on 11 September 2015 and ended on 12 April 2016. EC Red Bull Salzburg defended their title, beating Orli Znojmo 4-2 in the finals.

2017–18 Austrian Hockey League season

2017–18 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2017–18 Austrian Hockey League season began on 8 September 2017 and ended on 20 April 2018. The defending champion were the Vienna Capitals. On 20 April 2018, HC Bolzano won the Austrian Hockey Championship for the 2nd time in their history.

IIHF Continental Cup

IIHF Continental Cup

The Continental Cup is a second-level ice hockey tournament for European clubs, begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the European Cup. It was intended for teams from countries without representatives in the European Hockey League, with participating teams chosen by the countries' respective ice hockey associations. Hans Dobida served as chairman of the Continental Cup until 2018.

2009–10 IIHF Continental Cup

2009–10 IIHF Continental Cup

The Continental Cup 2009–10 was the 13th edition of the IIHF Continental Cup. The season started on September 25, 2009, and finished on January 15, 2010.

European Trophy

European Trophy

European Trophy was an annually held ice hockey tournament, traditionally composed of teams from the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe. With 32 participating teams from seven countries in 2013, the European Trophy was at the time the biggest active ice hockey tournament in Europe. Starting with the 2014–15 season, the European Trophy was replaced by the Champions Hockey League, a more formal competition which also included all of the champions of Europe's major national leagues.

2011 European Trophy

2011 European Trophy

The 2011 European Trophy was the second European Trophy, a European ice hockey tournament held annually. It was also the sixth tournament since its predecessor, the Nordic Trophy, was launched in 2006. The regulation round began on 11 August 2011 and ended on 6 September 2011. The playoffs, which took place in Austria, were played between 16–18 December 2011 in the Eisarena Salzburg in Salzburg, and the Albert Schultz Eishalle in Vienna, at the same time as the 2011 Channel One Cup. The playoff hosts, Red Bull Salzburg, won the playoffs and captured their first championship title in the European Trophy tournament, having lost in the quarterfinals last year.

Current roster

Updated 24 January 2023.^[3]

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
54		Luca Auer	F	L	18	2021	Graz, Austria
89		Florian Baltram	F	L	25	2015	Wien, Austria
21		Troy Bourke	C	L	28	2022	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
73		David Cernik	F	L	18	2021	Salzburg, Austria
39		Chay Genoway	D	L	36	2022	Morden, Manitoba, Canada
40		Tim Harnisch	C	L	21	2019	Wiener Neustadt, Austria
17		Nikolaus Heigl	F	L	20	2022	Bad Tölz, Germany
49		Thomas Heigl	F	L	20	2022	Bad Tölz, Germany
91		Dominique Heinrich	D	L	32	2017	Wien, Austria
26		Peter Hochkofler	RW	R	28	2014	Bolzano, Italy
15		Lukas Hörl	D	R	19	2021	Salzburg, Austria
96		Mario Huber	RW	R	26	2017	Innsbruck, Austria
52		Paul Huber	F	L	22	2019	Graz, Austria
30		David Kickert	G	R	28	2022	Korneuburg, Austria
2		Tyler Lewington	D	R	28	2022	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
27		Ty Loney	RW	R	31	2021	Valencia, Pennsylvania, United States
4		Andrew MacWilliam	D	L	32	2022	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
64		Oskar Maier	F	L	21	2020	Wien, Austria
72		Nicolai Meyer	LW	L	29	2022	Frederikshavn, Denmark
70		Benjamin Nissner	LW	L	25	2021	Wien, Austria
19		Aljaz Predan	F	L	22	2019	Ptuj, Slovenia
5		Thomas Raffl	LW	L	36	2016	Villach, Austria
22		Dennis Robertson	D	L	31	2022	Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
3		Peter Schneider	RW	R	31	2021	Klosterneuburg, Austria
55		Lukas Schreier	D	L	23	2018	Salzburg, Austria
7		Martin Štajnoch	D	R	32	2022	Bojnice, Czechoslovakia
18		Paul Stapelfeldt	D	L	24	2019	Braunau, Austria
56		Devin Steffler	D	R	22	2021	Durango, Colorado, United States
48		Lucas Thaler	C	R	21	2021	Villach, Austria
35		Atte Tolvanen	G	L	28	2021	Vihti, Finland
67		Philipp Wimmer	D	L	21	2020	Wien, Austria
9		Ali Wukovits	C	L	26	2021	Wien, Austria

Notable alumni

Discover more about Players related topics

Nationality

Nationality

Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a national, of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the state against other states.

Position (team sports)

Position (team sports)

Position in team sports is the joint arrangement of a team on its field of play during a game and to the standardized place of any individual player in that arrangement. Much instruction, strategy, and reporting is organized by a set of individual player positions that is standard for the sport.

Shot (ice hockey)

Shot (ice hockey)

A shot in ice hockey is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking or snapping the puck with their stick in the direction of the net.

Austria

Austria

Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous city and state. Austria is bordered by Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The country occupies an area of 83,871 km2 (32,383 sq mi) and has a population of 9 million.

Forward (ice hockey)

Forward (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, a forward is a player, and a position on the ice, whose primary responsibility is to score and assist goals.

2021–22 ICE Hockey League season

2021–22 ICE Hockey League season

The 2021–22 ICE Hockey League season begin on 16 September 2021. The league's title sponsor was bet-at-home.com. The defending champions were EC KAC. On 11 April 2022, EC Red Bull Salzburg won the Austrian Hockey Championship for the 7th time in their history.

Graz

Graz

Graz is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562. In 2018, the population of the Graz larger urban zone (LUZ) stood at 652,654, based on principal-residence status. Graz is known as a college and university city, with four colleges and four universities. Combined, the city is home to more than 60,000 students. Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe.

2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season

2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2015–16 Austrian Hockey League season began on 11 September 2015 and ended on 12 April 2016. EC Red Bull Salzburg defended their title, beating Orli Znojmo 4-2 in the finals.

Canada

Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. It is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. The country is sparsely inhabited, with most residing south of the 55th parallel in urban areas. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Troy Bourke

Troy Bourke

Troy Bourke is a Canadian professional ice hockey center who is currently playing for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He was selected 72nd overall, by the Colorado Avalanche, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Centre (ice hockey)

Centre (ice hockey)

The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the sideboards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and therefore often end up covering more ice surface than any other player. Centres are ideally strong, fast skaters who are able to back-check quickly from deep in the opposing zone. Generally, centres are expected to be gifted passers more so than goal scorers, although there are exceptions - typically larger centres who position themselves directly in front of the net in order to score off rebounds. They are also expected to have exceptional "ice vision", intelligence, and creativity. They also generally are the most defensively-oriented forwards on the ice, as they are expected to play the role of the third player in defense, after the defencemen. Centres usually play as part of a line of players that are substituted frequently to keep fresh and keep the game moving.