Release from 11.05.2026

Capitals sign Konstantin Komarek | Dan Lacroix remains head coach in Graz

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The Vienna Capitals have signed Konstantin Komarek to a two-year contract. The 33-year-old forward returns to Austria after ten years in Sweden, the KHL, and Switzerland. Between 2012 and 2016, the Vienna native played 243 league games for Salzburg and won two championships with the Red Bulls. Meanwhile, head coach Dan Lacroix has extended his contract with reigning champions Moser Medical Graz99ers. Christoph Brandner will join EC-KAC as assistant coach, while runners-up Pustertal announced several contract extensions.

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Konstantin Komarek moved to Sweden whilst still a junior and made his SHL debut at an early age. Following a successful spell there, he returned to Austria in 2012 to join EC Red Bull Salzburg, where he played 271 matches over four years, scored 147 points and won the league title twice. From 2016, he resumed his career in Sweden (with Malmö, Karlskrona and, once again, Luleå) and also gained international experience in the KHL (Dinamo Riga) and in Switzerland (EHC Biel). With Luleå, he reached the SHL final in 2022 and the Champions Hockey League final in 2023. In total, he has played 367 SHL matches, scoring 169 points. Since 2023, Komarek has played for Västerås IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan, where he was one of the key players and served as captain. He has played 62 international matches for Austria and taken part in three World Championships.

Konstantin Komarek: “The idea of wanting to play in Vienna again has been on my mind for quite some time. This is where it all began for me. As a young lad, I used to watch the Caps and dream of standing out here on the ice. The timing of the move to Vienna is just right for me and my family. Although my playmaking qualities are my strong point, I’ve played long enough in Sweden, where the system of play takes top priority. I also see this as very important and will do my bit to implement Mike Stewart’s instructions.”

Lacroix remains head coach of champions Graz
Dan Lacroix took over as head coach of the Moser Medical Graz99ers in November and led the Styrian side to the first championship title in the club’s history. The 57-year-old has now extended his contract by one year. With his assistant coach Nate DiCasmirro and goalkeeping coach Andreas Eriksson, the entire coaching trio will therefore remain unchanged for the 2026/27 season.

Dan Lacroix: “It is truly an honour and a privilege for me to be back on the bench for the coming season. We have already built up a lot of good things. Nevertheless, our goals remain unchanged: to play at the highest level every night and to continue developing a winning mentality that our fans can be proud of. I am already looking forward to getting back on the ice with the team in August.”



Contract extensions at Pustertal
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal has announced several contract extensions for the coming season in the win2day ICE Hockey League. Goalie Eddie Pasquale, who set a new league record in the play-offs with 279 minutes without conceding a goal, is staying in Brunico. In addition to defenders Daniel Glira, Markus Lauridsen and Austin Osmanski, contracts have also been extended with the following forwards: Cole Bardreau, Henry Bowlby, Austin Rueschhoff, Alex Ierullo, Alan Lobis and JC Lipon.

Christoph Brandner becomes assistant coach at KAC
EC-KAC has filled the vacant position on its coaching staff with a true club icon: Christoph Brandner, who spent nine seasons as a player and the past twelve years as a coach with the Red Jackets, is to become the new assistant coach. Just as he will be working alongside Kirk Furey with the Austrian national team at the upcoming World Championship, the 50-year-old will also be working with him at the club in future.