It’s tough to make an argument against calling KAC Klagenfurt Austria’s most successful hockey team. The “Rotjacken,” as the team is affectionately known, have been a perennial contender in the Austrian topflight for nearly a century, and with their 32nd championship in the bag, KAC have truly kickstarted yet another run of domestic dominance.
Klagenfurt lies in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, near the border with Slovenia, and the city is still celebrating KAC’s successful run this past season to the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League title.
KAC, who won the Austrian championship in 2018/19, can also call themselves back-to-back Austrian champions, as no domestic title winner was named in the coronavirus-disrupted 2019/20 season.
As a result of their success, KAC Klagenfurt will pit their talents against Europe’s elite once more, as the club is set to embark on its fourth Champions Hockey League campaign this coming season.
One player who is set to be at the centre of KAC’s efforts to win a third straight domestic championship, and perhaps even a first CHL title, is defenceman Clemens Unterweger.
Hailing from the medieval Tyrolian town of Lienz, Unterweger joined KAC in 2018/19 after several successful seasons with Graz99ers, and the blueliner said in an interview that he had no regrets about making the move to Klagenfurt.
“I think it has been a great three years now in Klagenfurt. We won both championships, last year there was COVID-19 so there were no playoffs, but I think this year was extra special with the pandemic and because we had a young team with lots of young Austrians, only a few imports. We really had to stick together and that was the key to our success,” Unterweger said.
Klagenfurt and HC Bolzano were the clear frontrunners throughout the ICEHL’s regular season and pick round, with the latter seeming to have the advantage going into the playoffs. The Klagenfurt club marched past Villach SV and Red Bull Salzburg on their way to the final, setting up a match up with the Foxes.
KAC blew Bolzano out of the water in Game 1 with a dominant 6-0 victory. Despite a loss in Game 3, the Klagenfurt club wrapped up their 32nd title with a 5-3 win in Italy in Game 5, and Unterweger said that he thought the KAC players were more disciplined and managed to keep their cool during the series with Bolzano.
“I think we were more disciplined. We were more ready for what some guys call a ‘war’ … We left them alone, we left the Bolzano players alone. They did some stupid things and we said before every game ‘let them do it and we will take advantage of it on the powerplay,’ and we did, and that was great,” Unterweger, who scored 7 points in KAC’s 15 playoff games, remarked.
"We play for the fans, they give us energy"KAC Klagenfurt's Clemens Unterweger
Despite starting the season with a limited number of fans in the stands, the Austrian authorities took the decision during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic this past autumn to ban any spectators from attending indoor sporting events, and these restrictions continued into this past season’s playoffs.
According to Unterweger, playing playoff hockey without the support of KAC’s loud, passionate fanbase was a different experience, but the blueliner said that he was looking forward to hopefully icing in front of a full arena next season.
“It was great two seasons ago with all the fans after we won, they were on the ice, and of course, we play for the fans, they give us energy. But this year was special because we had to push ourselves in every situation and also when we won it, it was just us and we could enjoy ourselves together. We had more time together celebrating this trophy this year. Both were a little different, but I’d prefer playing in front of fans that’s for sure,” he said.
Unterweger joined KAC in the summer of 2018, fresh off a 27-point season with domestic rivals Graz99ers. The Lienz native noted that he has worked hard on his defensive game since joining Klagenfurt but said that he was still striving to become an elite defenceman at both ends of the ice.
“I want to keep pushing to be that two-way defenceman. I hope it works out next season even more,” he commented.
KAC Klagenfurt have already made three appearances in the Champions Hockey League (2015/16, 2017/18, 2019/20), although the southern Austrian club has yet to advance beyond the Group Stage.
In their most recent CHL campaign, KAC found themselves in a tough group along with Finnish powerhouse Tappara Tampere, Swiss contender EHC Biel-Bienne, and the Norwegian champions, Frisk Asker.
KAC made headlines by defeating Tappara 3-2 on Game Day 1 of the 2019/20 season, although the Austrian side narrowly missed out on qualification by a mere three points, after dropping the return game in Finland and failing to pick up any points against EHC Biel-Bienne.
“I think this win against Tappara, it was a great win not only for KAC, but for Austrian hockey,” Unterweger said.
The Lienz-born blueliner said that he was “really looking forward” to having another chance to challenge himself on the European stage, adding that the club’s management and players had a point to prove.
“This year, we want to show that we play good hockey in Austria. We have a good league, it’s a competitive league, and we want to show that we have great hockey here. I think especially in Klagenfurt, with the coaches we have, we are really looking forward to showing the whole of Europe what we can do, and I think every player thinks that too,” he said.
Klagenfurt will be one of eight teams to feature in Pot 5, created to facilitate the schedules of national teams playing the Final Olympic Qualification tournament, for the upcoming Champions Hockey League draw on May 19.
Irrespective of his team’s opponents, Unterweger said that KAC will be aiming to make it to the CHL Playoffs for the first time in the club’s history.
“We definitely want to show what we can do in the CHL. It doesn’t matter what the group is, we want to advance to the next round that’s for sure. That’s a big goal for us,” he said.
And Unterweger’s thoughts on the upcoming domestic season?
“I don’t want to say it now, but we can do it [win the title] again.”