ICE HOCKEY IN VILLACH - PART OF THE CITY’S HISTORY FOR OVER 100 YEARS
Moving to a new country and a new city means a lot of changes for all members of a family. Sports enthusiasts can often quickly find connections in clubs, whether as a fan or an active member. Thanks to its long-established professional team (the EC VSV) and the many junior teams, ice hockey has a very special status in Villach.
LONG-ESTABLISHED “HOCKEY TOWN”
As early as after WWI young men of Villach competed every winter on Lake St. Leonharder and Lake Vassacher See, and in 1924 registered as full members of the Austrian Ice Hockey Association. Thus the ice hockey section of the Villach Sports Club (Villacher Sportverein or VSV) came into existence and was even able to celebrate international successes. The team was rebuilt after WWII and managed to advance to Austria’s highest league. With championship titles in 1980/81, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1998/99, 2001/02 and 2005/06, the EC VSV established itself within the country and became Villach’s most successful and most popular sports team. Villach’s logo has always incorporated an eagle, to which the team owes its mascot and its nickname, “the Eagles” ("die Adler”).
CARINTHIA’S TALENT PIPELINE
The comprehensive and successful youth ice hockey training program in Villach has also traditionally contributed to the special significance that the club has far beyond the city limits. It’s not only the VSV itself that thus regularly benefits from the many talented locals who make the leap into professional sports, but the Austrian national team, many foreign clubs, and even teams from the most competitive league in the world are also happy to get the ice hockey professionals who are “Made in Villach”. In recent years, for example, Michael Grabner and Michael Raffi, two athletes from the VSV junior team, have become starters for teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and have made a decisive contribution to the great reputation of Villach’s model sports club.
THE NEW SEASON BEGINS
The VSV has played continuously in Austria’s top division since the 1977/78 season and is thus - after local rival EC KAC from Klagenfurt - its second oldest participant. Since 2006, the Austrian championship has been held as part of the transnational ICE Hockey League, which includes teams from Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary. This gives ice hockey fans regular opportunities to experience world-class international ice hockey over the course of the season in Villach’s Stadthalle, the Eagle’s home arena. By reaching the semi-finals last season, the VSV also managed to qualify for the Champions Hockey League, which brought other top teams to Carinthia for competitions in early September 2022.
This year’s ice hockey season started on September 19. EC SVS will meet its long-time rival, EC KAC from Klagenfurt, for the first time this season on October 26, a match-up which always makes for a packed arena. You can get season tickets for the games as well as individual tickets. In addition, you can also livestream all the games online.
WOMEN TEAMS AND JUNIOR TEAMS
There has been a successful women’s hockey team - the Lady Hawks - in Villach since 1988. More than 30 women between the ages of 12 - 45 years old are united by their love and passion for ice hockey. Any woman who wants to give ice hockey a try can come anytime to the free practice training sessions that are offered.
In the EC VSV junior team, girls and boys aged four years and up (EV VSV Bambini) can get their first experiences on the ice. Eight-year-olds and up are then put into the various age group divisions - U8 - U11, U13, U15, U 17, and U20.
PLAY YOURSELF WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
If you’re in the mood to ice skate or play ice hockey, there are many opportunities for doing so in and around Villach. Here are all the indoor rinks, with additional information listed.