Simon Kostner: “There is a different energy in our team”

Last season didn’t go the way you had hoped. How confident are you that the team can bounce back and return to the kind of success Ritten has enjoyed in the past?
Simon Kostner: “Last season, we never reached the level we expected from ourselves. But I’m also sure that we learned from it. We can already see now that changes have been made, not only among the players but throughout the whole team, and hopefully those changes will contribute to a more successful season.”

You’ve been part of the Alps Hockey League since its very first season. How proud are you to still play such an important role for Ritten, and how have you seen the league develop over the years?
“My role is still simply to be a player. Of course, the experience I’ve gained over the years helps me to maybe pass something on to our younger players, but at the end of the day, I’m doing the same things they are doing. I simply enjoy it.

Looking at how the league has changed, I think it was generally a little more experienced in the first few years. The players, and especially the imports, tended to be a little older and brought more experience to the league. Right now, I think the league is probably faster because the players are younger, which is a good thing for the sport. In the end, it’s up to those young players who get the opportunity to play here to make the most of it.”

You’re heading into the new season with Jamie Russell as new head coach. How has the preparation been so far, and can you already feel that hunger for success within the team again?
“I can definitely say that I feel a different energy within our team compared to last year. There is also a different hunger to be successful, which is a very positive thing.

I’m really looking forward to moving forward with this team because the first few weeks have been a lot of fun. They’ve given us plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the next couple of months.”