Release from 03.02.2026

Vote for the Young Star of the Month January

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For the fifth time this season, the Young Star of the Month will be determined. Once again, four talented young players are up for the award after delivering strong performances throughout January. Fan voting is open until Sunday, February 8, at 11:59 p.m. In addition, TV experts from Austria, Italy, and Slovenia will once again cast their votes.

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The following players have been nominated for January:

Luca Erne (2004) – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Luca Erne returned to the Pioneers Vorarlberg from Villach at the beginning of January. The 22-year-old immediately made an impact after having already played for the Vorarlberg club over the past three seasons. In nine appearances, he recorded one goal and two assists. Overall, Erne has totaled four points so far this season.

Alan Lobis (2004) – HC Falkensteiner Pustertal
Alan Lobis enjoyed a very strong January with HC Falkensteiner Pustertal. The 21-year-old center registered two goals and three assists in eleven games. Between January 16 and 23, the South Tyrolean recorded a four-game scoring streak. This season marks his breakthrough campaign, with eleven points in 38 appearances so far. Last season, Lobis played for the Rittner Buam SkyAlps in the Alps Hockey League and was loaned to Pustertal for just three games.

Paul Reiner (2006) – Moser Medical Graz99ers
The 19-year-old Paul Reiner is one of two defensemen nominated for Young Star of January. The Graz native has made nine league appearances for the Moser Medical Graz99ers this season, five of them in January. He also plays for EK Die Zeller Eisbären in the Alps Hockey League. January 28 was a special day for Reiner: in the 7–1 road win in Pustertal, he scored his first league goal and added an assist. Just two days later, he recorded another assist in the 3–2 home win against the Pioneers.

Filip Simovic (2007) – EC-KAC
At 18 years of age, Filip Simovic is the youngest nominee for Young Star of January and, like Paul Reiner, a defenseman. The Canadian is currently playing his first season with EC-KAC’s senior team. On January 3, he celebrated his first professional goal in the 4–1 win in Innsbruck. He also scored in the 3–2 overtime home victory against Fehérvár to make it 2–0 at the time. Overall, Simovic has appeared in 29 games for the KAC´s first team this season.

>> TO THE VOTING <<

Voting Procedure
A total of six monthly winners will be determined over the course of the season. Each month, four players are nominated and put to a public vote. The six monthly winners will then compete at the start of the Playoffs for the overall title of Young Star of the Season 2025/26.

The final results are based on two components: the fan voting on the league’s website and the votes from TV experts in Austria, Italy and Slovenia. In the event of a tie, the ranking will be decided by the results of the fan vote.

Monthly winner Young Star election 2025/26:
Paul Sintschnig (VSV) | September
Tommy Purdeller (HCP) | October
David Waschnig (KAC) | November
Johannes Dobrovolny (KAC) | December