Release from 10.07.2026

Bolzano and Milano sign players from the Alps Hockey League

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HCB Südtirol Alperia and Milano Hockey Club have strengthened their rosters with players from the Alps Hockey League. Bolzano signed 22-year-old forward Jakob Fuchs, who has spent his entire career to date with Meran. Milano, meanwhile, added 30-year-old defenseman Chad Pietroniro, who played for Cortina last season. Prior to that, he also suited up for Asiago and Meran in the Alps Hockey League.

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At the age of 22 and after four Alps Hockey League seasons, Fuchs now gets the opportunity to make the step up to the win2day ICE Hockey League. Like Frick, Remolato and Larcher, he will be eligible to play for both HCB Südtirol Alperia and its farm team, HC Meran.

Fuchs is a physically strong forward (189 cm, 88 kg) who already had the opportunity to attend the Foxes' summer camp in 2025. He also appeared in the preseason game against the Wipptal Broncos in Corvara. He went on to enjoy a strong campaign with the Eagles, helping Meran reach the Alps Hockey League Final while recording 17 points in the regular season and another 12 in the playoffs.

Chad Pietroniro joins Milano
Chad Pietroniro moves from Cortina to Milano and is set to make his debut in the win2day ICE Hockey League. His arrival in the city has the feel of a homecoming: his father, Marco Pietroniro, is a prominent figure in the history of Milano hockey on the RossoBlù side. During the 1990s, he was a key player and captain at the Agorà, and was equally renowned for his positional versatility—an attribute Chad has inherited. Hockey runs deep in the Pietroniro family, as Chad is the second of five brothers, all of whom play the sport and whose careers have frequently crossed paths.

Developed in Quebec's junior hockey system, Pietroniro played in the QMJHL, USHL and QJHL, winning the latter with the Terrebonne Cobras. He then embarked on a professional career that has taken him to five different countries. He made his Italian debut with Asiago in the 2017/18 season, making two appearances for the team that went on to win the Alps Hockey League title. He remained with the club for two more seasons in the Alps Hockey League and Serie A, culminating in the Italian championship in 2020, to which he contributed a goal in the decisive game. That same year, he earned his first call-up to the Italian national team before moving to Cortina.

In 2021/22, the defenseman moved to France to join the Scorpions de Mulhouse in the Ligue Magnus. He then spent time in North America, playing in the ECHL for the Newfoundland Growlers, Maine Mariners and Trois-Rivières Lions, before joining the Cardiff Devils in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

Pietroniro returned to Italy in 2024, first joining Meran before returning to Cortina last season. In 48 games, he recorded 19 goals and six assists while also helping the club capture the Italian Super Cup.

Copyright: BK Photo