Steinbach Black Wings Linz hits the road for Budapest to face FTC Telekom Budapest on Wednesday, September 30, at the Tüskecsarnok, looking to rebound from a tight 5-4 defeat against the Pustertal Wölfe. Head coach Philipp Lukas’ squad travels early to Hungary after penalties proved costly in their previous outing, while the hosts enter the win2day ICE Hockey League matchup holding one regulation win and two losses.
Linz Seeks Discipline Following Pustertal Setback
The Steinbach Black Wings arrive in Budapest aiming to clean up disciplinary issues that derailed their performance on Sunday in the 5-4 loss to Pustertal. Linz showed resilience in generating a lead during the middle frame after falling behind, but penalties in the final period handed the initiative back to the Wölfe. Trenton Bliss and Niklas Würschl provided positive momentum by converting on the power play.
Head coach Philipp Lukas stressed the need for a complete 60-minute effort after the team’s latest outing.
“We must put together a better start,” Lukas said. “It’s vital that we play 60 minutes and not a minute less. We need to be ready from the first shift, stick to our game plan, play with intensity, and show a willingness to skate.”
To ensure optimal preparation, the Upper Austrian side traveled to Budapest a day early. The roster receives a boost with the return of Luca Erne, who recovers from a shoulder injury sustained during the preseason to make his season debut. Julian Pusnik remains unavailable, while Domenic Burghard travels with the team. Defender Patrick Söllinger emphasized the importance of eliminating unforced errors and staying out of the penalty box.
FTC Telekom Budapest Roster Overhaul and Young Talents
FTC Telekom Budapest enters Wednesday’s contest following a busy summer that saw eight new faces join the squad after an eleventh-place finish with 57 points last season. Despite the turnover, the Hungarian club retained its experienced goaltending tandem of Bence Balizs and Kristof Nagy. Nagy secured his first shutout of the season during a 3-0 home victory over league newcomer HK SŽ Olimpija Ljubljana, which followed losses to Olimpija (3-5) and Red Bull Salzburg (3-6).
The club shifted its strategy toward youth during the offseason. David Silye, at 27 years old, stands as the oldest newcomer, while every other addition was born in 2000 or later.
Among the new arrivals, 26-year-old Polish league veteran Rasmus Heljanko made an immediate impact with two goals in his first three games. Canadian forward Carter Savoie leads the team’s scoring charts with five points through three appearances. Meanwhile, former FTC standout Brady Shaw moved to Linz, and second-leading scorer Tyler Coulter departed for the Slovakian league.
Match Details and Broadcast Information
* Fixture: FTC Telekom Budapest vs. Steinbach Black Wings Linz
* Competition: win2day ICE Hockey League, Regular Season Game 6
* Date and Time: Wednesday, September 30, 18:30 CEST
* Venue: Tüskecsarnok, Budapest
* Livestream: Available via SportEurope.tv