Release from 13.09.2016

Press conference opens Sky Alps Hockey League

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The new SKY Alps Hockey League starts an additional era in the international Ice hockey. 16 teams of three nations build the perspective future project for farm teams as well as traditional clubs. On the 13th of September a combined press conference together with the Erste Bank Eishockey League took place at the Erste Campus in Vienna, to open the new era of ice hockey.

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Mag. Gernot Mitterndorfer, president of the ÖEHV and chairman of the Austrian Hockey Board and Christian Feichtinger, league manager, introduced the new future project, in a big combined press conference between Erste Bank Eishockey Liga and Sky Alps Hockey League. The announcement of the name-sponsoring of Sky, the first official partner, was communicated just in time before the starting-gun of the new league. Under the professional league organisation with clear structures and regulations under the umbrella of the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, the AHL provides perfect conditions for young players as career prospects as well as a new sportive challenge for traditional clubs. “The Alps Hockey League was founded to promote domestic youth players and to offer a stepping stone into the professional world of ice hockey”, is Feichtinger explaining the need of the new league. “We act on behalf of the national federations Austria, Italy and Slovenia, to introduce young players to the international competition.”
 
Dr. Alexander Gruber, member of the board of governors and vice-president of the ÖEHV, sees the chance to improve the quality of the national team, thanks to the new future project. “It is important to offer young players a platform, where they can be led to the level of professional hockey and to the national team, step by step.” Also Tommaso Teofoli, member of the board of governors, sees the Sky Alps Hockey League as a chance of development for the Italian teams. “We sent eight of our best teams in the AHL. Thanks to the internationality of the league, we are able to further develop the Italian players, as well as giving young players the chance to compete on an international level.”
 
The Sky Alps Hockey League is already in the starting blocks and will start this Saturday. Eight Italian Clubs – seven Teams of Serie A and one of Serie B -, seven Austrian clubs and the traditional club of Jesenice / Slovenia will be fighting for the first Sky Alps Hockey League title.