Linz forward Brian Lebler: “It’s easier to live in the moment”

The Linz team reached the semi-finals in 2025, but struggled from the outset last season and eventually lost to VSV in the Pre-Playoffs. “Those are probably the seasons you learn the most from – when things don’t come easily. I think we learned that we can’t get comfortable. To excel at anything, you also have to deal with uncomfortable situations,” Brian Lebler explains.

The fans’ support as a constant
One thing the Upper Austrians can always rely on is the support of their fans. Almost 2,500 spectators attended the first preseason game against Munich. “That is something we definitely don’t take for granted in Linz, and we are very grateful for it. The group of people who support us stands by us in good times and bad,” says the winger, who is entering his 15th season with the Black Wings and currently ranks as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer with 425 goals.

Not looking too far ahead
The Linz team added ten new players over the summer, but according to Lebler, the team chemistry developed quickly: “That’s one thing about hockey players: We can come together pretty quickly. We are all quite similar. Of course, there are different personalities on the team, but we all have the same goal and the same mindset. You do some team-building activities, have fun, and the nervousness and shyness disappear within the group. I’m extremely excited about the season and couldn’t be happier to share this experience with the new guys.”



At 38, Lebler has a wealth of experience. That is precisely why he tries not to look too far ahead: “What I’ve realised over the course of my career is that I literally take it day by day. We have a plan, we want to work hard and win the upcoming game. When you start looking too far ahead or thinking about what you could have done better in the previous game, it becomes more difficult. Of course, there is a time for reflection and learning. But when you live in the moment and accept things as they come, I think it is much easier to give 100 per cent of your energy and focus to that moment.”

Open-Air experience
The Upper Austrians will begin the new win2day ICE Hockey League season on 18 September with a game in Székesfehérvár. They will also take part in one of the season’s highlight events: on 30 January, they will face VSV in an open-air game at the ski-jumping venue in Bischofshofen.

“I’ve played in one outdoor game. When I was at the University of Michigan, we played Wisconsin in a football stadium in front of around 40,000 spectators. That was a really cool experience. All those things are what excite me about hockey. It gives us the opportunity to experience and do so many amazing things that we might not otherwise be able to do. I’m looking forward to the game in Bischofshofen; it will be fun,” Lebler says, already clearly anticipating the occasion.