Release from 14.07.2023

McGowan enters his fifth season with Gardena

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The HC Gherdëina valgardena.it has already announced some players for the 2023/24 season in the Alps Hockey League in recent weeks. As the first signing, the return of Brad McGowan was announced. In the interview, the former league MVP looks back on the successful past and the upcoming fifth season in Wolkenstein.

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The HC Gherdëina valgardena.it opens its preseason on August 11. In the course of the Trofeo Ladin, the South Tyroleans play at AHL runner-up Cortina. Also joining the team will be Brad McGowan, who signed his first contract in Wolkenstein in the summer of 2019 and has since collected 285 points (119 goals) in 167 games. "When I first came to Val Gardena, everyone was really nice and welcoming. The preseason started a bit later than I was used to. I then worked additionally on my physical fitness and it went very well from there," recalls the center. In the 2020/21 season, McGowan was even voted league MVP. "The Alps Hockey League is a good league. You need to play a good game every night as the other team has a chance to win. It's always nice to get recognized for having a good season. It feels good but It's also a team thing. I played with Mathew Wilkins back in the day, you would have given it to either one of us."


Brad McGowan turns his focus to the new season.

Return to Gardena
Towards the end of last season, McGowan moved to Starbulls Rosenheim in the German Oberliga. With the Bavarian club he managed the promotion to the DEL2. He played a big part in that, scoring the game-winning goal in the final series. The veteran nevertheless decided to return to Val Gardena, where he will now enter his fifth season. "I have a lot of friends and obviously my girlfriend is there, which makes it much easier. It was pretty easy to decide to come back," said McGowan, who wants to play his part in the team's success again. "One of my strengths is that I can score goals. But I also try to make plays for my line mates. I try to win a lot of faceoffs and I also make sure that I play good defense. I think we will have a good team. The clubs' goals is for sure to make the playoffs. We also want to reach the final in the Italian championship."

Role model for youth
The 33-year-old has become a key player over the years. The number 77 of Gardena is also a role model off the ice and always leads by example. McGowan also likes to work with young teammates. "It's really important for Italian teams to work with young players and help to improve. I like that and pass on my experience."

Photos: Andreas Senoner