Release from 10.04.2026

Claes Endre: “I’ve found a game plan that I really believe in”

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Goaltender Claes Endre joined HC Gherdeina valgardena.it in mid-January and made an immediate impact, playing a key role in the South Tyroleans reaching the Final against HC Meran/o Pircher, which starts today at 20:00 – live on Valcome.tv. With a save percentage of 94.4%, the Swede currently leads all goaltending statistics in the Alps Hockey League. In the interview, the 30-year-old talks about how the move to Val Gardena came about, shares his impressions of the league, highlights his strengths, and explains what he expects from the Final series — aiming not only to bring Val Gardena its first title, but also to win the first championship of his career.

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You joined Val Gardena in mid-January. How did this transfer come about?
Claes Endre: “My agent told me one or two days before I signed that Val Gardena was interested, and after that everything happened very fast. It was basically a choice between playing hockey in Italy or not playing at all.”

What was your first impression of the team and the league?
Claes Endre: “Everyone has been really nice to me so far. It’s a great group of guys and people working around the club. I didn’t know much about the league before, but there are definitely a lot of skilled players and strong teams.”

How do you perceive the atmosphere at the Pranives Ice Stadium?
Claes Endre: “The atmosphere has been great, especially in the last home game. It’s amazing to see all the locals coming out to support us — it really means a lot. We also have fans traveling to almost every away game, which is incredible.”

You quickly found success, winning both the Qualification Round and the Pre-Playoffs. Did you think a run like this was still possible?
Claes Endre: “Yes, we found something during the Qualification Round that we were able to build on. We started to find ways to win games, and with that came a lot of confidence. But of course, at that point it was hard to imagine going this far. At the beginning, we were just happy to make the playoffs.”

In the quarterfinals, you pulled off an upset against the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, and then reached the Final with a 4–2 series win over defending champion Zell am See. What were the key factors?
Claes Endre: “I would say our defense was the key. We scored when we had our chances and then stayed very solid. As I mentioned before, we have a great group that is willing to do anything to win.”

You have the best goalie stats in the league (94,4%) and were voted second in the MVP ranking — what makes you so strong?
Claes Endre: “I’ve found a game plan that I really believe in. It also helps to play a lot and stay in rhythm. But most importantly, I’m really enjoying my game right now and trying to take in as much as possible every day.”

Now you’re heading into the surprise Final against Merano — what do you expect from the series?
Claes Endre: “It’s going to be a great series with a lot of tough games. I played them once before and we lost 1–0 at home, so it might be something like that again. I’m really looking forward to getting started.”

The Final opener takes place tonight at 20:00 at the Meranarena, live on Valcome.tv.