Release from 04.01.2026

Thomas Raffl on the Verge of an Incredible Milestone

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EC Red Bull Salzburg forward Thomas Raffl is on the brink of a remarkable milestone. The 39-year-old figurehead of the win2day ICE Hockey League will play his 1,000th league game on Monday in Bolzano. Raffl becomes only the second player in league history to reach this mark, following Thomas Koch.

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With a total of 1,163 league appearances, the legendary Thomas Koch—who retired in 2023—remains the undisputed number one in terms of games played. From Monday onwards, however, the Klagenfurt native will no longer stand alone, as Thomas Raffl joins the exclusive “Club of 1,000.”

Raffl made his professional debut on September 26, 2003. At just 17 years of age, the Villach-born talent took to the ice for EC VSV wearing jersey number 2 against EC Feldkirch. His first scoring points soon followed: On December 23—his 12th league appearance—Raffl recorded both his first goal and first assist against the Graz99ers.

Five more seasons with the Eagles followed, including the league championship in the 2005/06 season. This period was complemented by stints in Canadian and U.S. junior leagues before Raffl continued his career in Sweden with Luleå HF. After a total of 234 professional games, his chapter with hometown club Villach came to an end.

After one and a half seasons in Sweden, Raffl opened a new chapter in November 2010 by joining EC Red Bull Salzburg. He celebrated his second league title already in his first season with the Red Bulls. What followed has become part of Austrian hockey history: Raffl won a total of seven championships with Salzburg, scored the championship-winning goal on three occasions, and was named Playoff MVP of the win2day ICE Hockey League in the 2023/24 season.

As of January 3, 2026, Raffl has played 765 games for EC Red Bull Salzburg and stands at 999 league appearances overall. Over the course of his career, he has recorded 345 goals and 388 assists. On January 5, Raffl will reach a milestone achieved by only one other player before him: He will skate in his 1,000th league game in the road matchup in Bolzano. Thomas Raffl will be officially honored by the win2day ICE Hockey League during EC Red Bull Salzburg’s home game on January 9.