Release from 16.10.2024

Benedikt Oschgan: “Playing in the Alps Hockey League was very important for me”

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Goaltender Benedikt Oschgan played his first full season in the Alps Hockey League with Steel Wings Linz AG last season. This summer, he finally moved to Sweden, where he is currently playing for the Växjö Lakers HC J20. However, the 19-year-old not only stands between the posts in the junior team, but has also had the opportunity to prove himself with the professionals in the Champions Hockey League. In the interview, Oschgan talks about his appearance in the CHL against Salzburg, his time in Sweden, his future career goals and the important experience he gained in the Alps Hockey League.

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Benedikt Oschgan played a total of 36 times in the Alps Hockey League for the Steel Wings Linz before moving to Sweden this summer to join the Växjö Lakers HC J20 due to the Upper Austrian team's withdrawal from the Alps Hockey League. The 19-year-old has made four appearances for the U20 team so far (93.4% save percentage) and also made his professional debut in the Champions Hockey League last week. Oschgan conceded just one goal in 50 minutes against EC Red Bull Salzburg, but he was unable to finish the game due to cramp and Växjö lost 1:3 in the end.

Oschgan is delighted with his debut in the Champions Hockey League against EC Red Bull Salzburg and was not nervous before the game: “I wasn't nervous at all before the game against Salzburg because I'm having a good season and I was aware that nothing could go wrong. But the performance was still better than I expected.”

When asked whether he was surprised when he became the info that he would be playing in the CHL, Oschgan replied confidently: “We had a total of three games last week and our first goalkeeper is currently injured, so I was aware that I would almost certainly get a call-up. So I wasn't that surprised, but I was still very proud that I had the chance to play against Salzburg.”

The move to Sweden actually came as a surprise to Oschgan, as his plan was to play at least one more season with the Steel Wings in the Alps Hockey League. However, due to the Upper Austrians' withdrawal from the international league, the 19-year-old had to look for a new club and ended up in Växjö. However, the young goalkeeper does not want to miss his time in the Alps Hockey League at all, rather it was an important step towards becoming a professional goalkeeper: “Playing in the Alps Hockey League was very important for me because hockey is played at professional level in this league and it is a clear difference to the U20. You can develop very well in the AHL.”

Oschgan currently plays mainly for the Växjö U20s, where he considers the level of the league to be extremely high: “The level here in Sweden in the U20s is very high, the game is very fast and it is certainly one of, if not the best, U20 league in Europe.”

Benedikt Oschgan has clear goals for his future career: “My primary goal is to play well this season, after that I'll see what happens. In the long term, however, my goal is definitely to compete internationally. I think I'm always welcome in Linz, but my main goal is to be successful internationally.”

Copyright: Albin Welander