Release from 19.09.2025

Michael Raffl faces his boyhood club for the first time

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Defending champion EC Red Bull Salzburg has started the new win2day ICE Hockey League season successfully with two victories. On Friday, the Red Bulls will host EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV at the Eisarena Salzburg – a matchup with special significance: Michael Raffl will face his boyhood club for the first time.

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Now 35 years old, Raffl learned to play hockey in the youth program of EC VSV. At just 17, he made his debut with the senior team during the 2005/06 season, becoming a regular player the following year. Over the course of six seasons until 2011, he played 262 league games, recording 152 points. After a year in Sweden, he made the leap to the NHL in 2013: the Philadelphia Flyers signed him, and on October 12, 2013, he made his debut against the Detroit Red Wings in the world’s top league. Just a few weeks later, he scored his first NHL goal – against the Ottawa Senators. In total, Raffl played 629 NHL games for Philadelphia, Washington, and Dallas, collecting 190 points and becoming a valuable role player. In the 2020/21 season, due to the delayed NHL start, he even made a brief comeback in Villach.

After his North American career, Raffl joined Lausanne HC in Switzerland in 2022, where he played for three years. This summer, he returned to Austria and signed with the Red Bulls. He has already impressed in the Champions Hockey League and with the team’s strong league start, notching wins against Bolzano and KAC. Now, his first matchup against his hometown club is on the schedule (Friday, 7:15 p.m., live on sporteurope.tv).

“We’ve had a good start to the season, even though of course there are still a lot of little details we’re working on every day,” Raffl explained. “Now it’s against Villach, but I’m not feeling any emotions yet. I’m a Villacher, and I was able to practice with them in the summer as well. But today, they’re simply our opponent. There’s a clear game plan, and of course, we’re trying to win.”

For Salzburg youngster Florian Lanzinger, the game also means a reunion with familiar faces. The 20-year-old, who hails from Villach, joined the Red Bull Academy last year and has already made two league appearances – but not yet against his hometown club.