Release from 28.04.2023

Mark Katic moves to Villach

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The EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV announced the signing of Mark Katic. The defender, who signed a two-year contract with the Carinthians, last spent five years in the DEL with Adler Mannheim. While Hampus Eriksson transfers from Feldkirch to the spusu Vienna Capitals, the Moser Medical Graz99ers and EC Red Bull Salzburg agreed to contract extensions.

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Mark Katic began his career with the Santa Sting in the Canadian Junior League. In 2007, the Canadian with Croatian roots was drafted by the New York Islanders in the third round. He made a total of eleven appearances for the Islanders in the NHL. From 2009 to 2012, he also skated in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for whom he scored a total of 48 points in 126 games.

In the 2012/2013 season, Katric moved to Europe: In his first season in the DEL, he celebrated the championship title with the Eisbären Berlin. Further stations led him to KHL side Medvescak Zagreb for four seasons. In February 2017, he moved from the Croatian capital to Swedish club Skelleftea AIK. He also impressed in Sweden with a strong 27 points and became runner-up in the SHL. In 2018, he returned to the DEL - again with success: With the Adler Mannheim, he won the championship title in his very first year, advancing in the playoffs to the best defenseman in terms of points and most successful assist provider. In the other four years in Mannheim, he was always among the team's highest-scoring defensemen. In total, he scored 150 points for the Mannheim team, including 30 goals.

In the next two seasons, Mark Katic will defend for EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV in the win2day ICE Hockey League: "I am really looking forward to VSV and will give my best in every game. My skating and technical abilities as well as my skills are my biggest strengths," said the 33-year-old.

Eriksson moves from Feldkirch to Vienna
The spusu Vienna Capitals secured the services of Swedish forward Hampus Eriksson. The 26-year-old played for BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg last season under new Caps head coach Marc Habscheid, recording 22 points (9G, 13A) in 32 games. Eriksson thus enters his second season in the win2day ICE Hockey League in Vienna.

Salzburg extends four defenders
EC Red Bull Salzburg continues to work on next season's squad and added Austrians Lukas Schreier, Paul Stapelfeldt, Philipp Wimmer and Devin Steffler on defense. All four players, aged between 21 and 24, came from the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy, are for the most part already in the Red Bulls' senior team and now want to take the next step.

Engelhart stays in Graz
The Moser Medical Graz99ers announced another contract extension as Jakob Engelhart signed for the upcoming season. The forward played 39 games for the Styrians in the past campaign and had one assist. The 18-year-old native of Graz received a lot of ice time from the coaching staff and was always able to develop further.