Release from 12.08.2020

Five teams with roster activities

Short text 326 CharactersPlain text

On Wednesday August 12th, five teams presented roster activities for the upcoming season in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League. While the EC-KAC announced its first new arrival, Villach and Innsbruck each hired goalies, while Vienna extended with Philippe Lakos and brought back Benjamin Nissner, Fehérvár tabbed Toni Kähkönen.

Press release 4576 CharactersPlain text

Samuel Witting first new arrival at EC-KAC
For the 22-year-old forward it is a return, as the Tyrolean-born was already active in the junior team of the record champion from 2011 to the end of 2015. In Salzburg, Witting worked his way up to a permanent position on the farm team in the Alps Hockey League via the U18 and U20 teams over the past few years before he made his debut in the first team in September 2018, for which he has since played 31 matches in the highest division and scored three goals.



Austrian trio for the HC Innsbruck

After a season with his home club EHC Lustenau, Rene Swette will be back at HC TWK Innsbruck in the coming season. The 31-year-old goalie has already played 47 games for the "sharks" between 2017 and 2019. The former national team goalkeeper spent most of his career at EC-KAC. Further, Dario Winkler, who spent the last season at the spusu Vienna Capitals, has returned to his home club. The 23-year-old is an "important building block of the Tyrolean way which the HC Tiroler Wasserkraft wants to continue to follow in the future", the club's statement said. Until the age of 14 the forward passed through all the junior classes in Innsbruck, then moved to Salzburg and also played in the Canadian Western Hockey League. In addition, with Christian Jennes another young player will join the "sharks". The 23-year-old scored for VEU Feldkirch in the Alps Hockey League in the past two seasons.

VSV presents goalkeeper duo and signs Raphael Wolf
The new goalkeeper of the EC VSV Tyler Beskorowany completed his first year of professional play in 2010/11 when he played for the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League. Despite a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars (NHL), he was only used in the AHL and ECHL. In September 2014 Beskorowany moved to Europe to join the Düsseldorf EG in the DEL. With 26 victories in 42 regular season games, a 92.3 percent save percentage and a GAA of 2.53, he became the guarantor of success for DEG and also received the "DEL Torhüter des Jahres" award in 2015. He then returned to North America, where he signed a contract with the Springfield Falcons in the AHL and again tried to recommend himself for an NHL career. After stations in the EIHL, Beskorowany then played for the Slovakian top club HC Banska Bystrica past seasn - under the new VSV coach Dan Ceman - and showed a save-percentage of 93%. Together with Alexander Schmidt, the contract with the 20-year-old talent was extended, Beskorowany forms Villach's goalie duo for the new ICE season.



With Raphael Wolf the EC VSV has also strengthened its defense. The 24-year-old received his skills in Salzburg, played for the Dornbirn Bulldogs from 2017 to 2019 - and with his performances he also recommended himself for the Austrian national team. In the previous season Wolf played for EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz, where he scored 13 points in 48 games.

Vienna extends with Philippe Lakos and brings back Benjamin Nissner
The spusu Vienna Capitals agreed with Philippe Lakos on further cooperation. The 39-year-old is thus contesting his 18th season for the Wiener. 792 times Philippe Lakos has worn the spusu Vienna Capitals' jersey so far - more often than any other player. The almost 40-year-old defender is also the only player in the history of the Caps to have been on the ice for both the 2005 and 2017 championship titles. For Vienna, the defender scored a total of 28 goals and 117 assists.

Benjamin Nissner, league’s young star of the 2018-19 season, will play for his hometown club again in the upcoming bet-at-home ICE season. The five-time national team player made his professional debut in the 2015-16 season - to date the 22-year-old has played exactly 200 games for the "Caps". The forward spent his last season at Tingsryds AIF in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's second highest division. There he scored eight goals and eight assists in 51 games.

Finnish old hand for Fehérvár
Toni Kähkönen joins Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in the coming season. The Finn played over 600 first division games in his home country. The 33-year-old started his professional career with Espoo Blues in 2007, and he led the organisation as captain on the Liiga ice for a total of three seasons between 2009 and 2012. He then moved to Oulun Kärpät for two seasons and also spent two seasons in the Swedish SHL. The forward spent the last three campaigns - the first two of them as captain - with KooKoo. In total, he recorded 622 first division games in Finland, scoring 306 points.