Release from 27.02.2025

Daniel Gellon: “A big goal is to help Merano become one of the hockey powerhouses in Italy again”

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The pre-playoffs in the Alps Hockey League kick off today, Thursday. Among the teams involved is HC Meran/o Pircher, who finished the Qualification Round A in first place and will now face league newcomers KHL Sisak, who finished their group in third place. Beforehand, we spoke with Merano forward Daniel Gellon, who looks ahead to the upcoming series in an interview and explains the reasons for his team's huge explosion in performance in the Qualification Round. The 24-year-old also talks about his personal goals and his desire to help Merano become one of Italy's hockey powerhouses once again.

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HC Meran/o Pircher put in an impressive performance in the Qualification Round - six wins from six games speak for themselves. Daniel Gellon attributed these strong performances above all to the fact that “we have already shown at times during the season that we are a team that can keep up with anyone.” A decisive factor for the improved performance in the Qualification Round was the defensive stability: “Maybe it's also down to the fact that everyone knows that there's more at stake right now in this hot phase and that's why they're giving that extra five percent.”

Now the pre-playoffs are coming up, in which Merano will face KHL Sisak - an unpleasant opponent that the South Tyroleans have already beaten twice this season. The 24-year-old native of Merano is expecting a close series in which “small things will make the difference”. For him, one thing is clear: “The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win this series.” The forward particularly emphasized the quality of the opponents, who “with strong import players and great ambition in their first league season, want to prove that they belong.” The Croatians, who were in the top third of the table for much of the regular season, finished in third place in Qualification Round B. They will therefore now face Merano, who finished first in Group A.

Last season, Merano successfully survived the pre-playoffs, but then lost in the quarter-finals against Cortina. “It would be very disappointing if we didn't make it through to the next round this time,” said Gellon. “Our goal from the start was to make the playoffs. Of course, you always think a few steps ahead,” continues the South Tyrolean.

With 38 points, Daniel Gellon is currently his team's second-best scorer; only Massimo Pietroniro has more points with 44. The forward is satisfied with his performance, but emphasizes: “Of course, I also owe that to my teammates. You can't score points on your own.” Overall, Gellon, who has already played for Merano as a junior, is playing his fourth season in the Alps Hockey League with the “Eagles” and sees a clear personal development compared to the early years: “You grow with the league. Now, of course, I'm one of the key players in our team. That wasn't the case at the beginning, of course, but you grow with the challenges and are constantly put in new situations. That's also what's special about this league: you're given a lot of responsibility at a young age, as the average age is relatively low overall. I think I've developed well.”

The six-time Italian international has clear goals for the future. On the one hand, the dream of one day playing in the win2day ICE Hockey League remains present. On the other hand, he is keen to see Merano flourish again as an hockey town: “Merano used to be one of the biggest hockey towns in South Tyrol and Italy. In recent years, this has perhaps faded into the background a little. But since last year, we've lit a little fire and you can feel more of this hockey euphoria in Merano again. It's definitely a big goal of mine to keep this fire burning so that Merano becomes one of the hockey powerhouses in Italy again.”

Game one of HC Merano/o Pircher's pre-playoff series against KHL Sisak is available live on www.valcome.tv on Thursday at 20:30.

Copyright: BK Photo