Graz99ers

The Moser Medical Graz99ers are an Austrian professional ice hockey team from Graz, Styria. The club was founded in 1999 after the previous club, EHC Graz, folded prior to the 1998–99 season due to financial difficulties. The Graz99ers started in the 1999–00 season in the Austrian National League, Austria's second division, where they were crowned instant champions. Since the 2000–01 season they have been playing in the ICE Hockey League (IceHL).

Moser Medical Graz99ers
CityGraz, Styria, Austria
LeagueAustrian National League
1999–2000
ICE Hockey League
2000–
Founded1999 (1999)
Home arenaEisstadion Graz Liebenau
(Capacity: 4,050)
Colors   
Owner(s)Jochen Pildner-Steinburg
General managerBernd Vollman
Head coachDoug Mason
Website99ers.at
Franchise history
1999–EC Graz 99ers
Exterior view from the regenerated Ice-Stadium of the Graz 99ers

History

Hockey was played at Premier League level in Graz mainly from two predecessor clubs. The Hockey department of the ATSE Graz (Workers' Gymnastics and Sports Association Eggenberg) was founded in 1947 and won to date the only Graz Hockey club title at the top Austrian League level in the 1974–75 and 1977-78 season. The club was merged early nineties with the UEC Graz, shortly after the EC Graz emerged. In 2008, the Hockey section of was ATSE Graz reactivated on the league level. The new goalie was Ben Bowns.

The EC Graz (also called "the elephant") experienced under President Hannes Kartnig its heyday, finishing three times the runner-up title in the seasons 1991-92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 despite running at a high financial cost. After the departure of Hannes Kartnig, the football club SK Sturm Graz changed, they tried to rescue the EC Graz. When this plan failed, the EHC Graz was established in 1998, only to become bankrupt the same year.

Establishment and promotion to the Bundesliga

In 1999 Jochen Pildner-Steinburg founded the Graz 99ers as the successor club of the EC Graz to offer Hockey League back in the Styrian capital. The team premiered in the second division, the Austrian National League, finishing after 28 rounds played, in first place in the table. In the semifinals, the team continued after opening game defeat to persevere to a 3: 1 series win against the EHC Lustenau to meet EK Zell am See in the final. The series was decided in four games with Graz taking advantage of the opportunity for promotion to the Austrian Hockey League.

Players

Current roster

Updated 28 August 2020.[1]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
73 Mario Altmann D L 34 2020 Vienna, Austria
33 Ben Bowns G L 30 2020 Rotherham, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
29 Joel Broda C L 31 2020 Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada
54 Tony Cameranesi C R 27 2020 Plymouth, Minnesota, United States
92 Charlie Dodero D R 28 2019 Bloomingdale, Illinois, United States
15 Armadeus Egger D L 21 2017 Graz, Austria
22 Hunter Fejes LW L 26 2020 Anchorage, Alaska, United States
26 Dominik Grafenthin LW L 25 2018 Berlin, Germany
19 Lukas Kainz C L 25 2018 Mödling, Austria
71 Erik Kirchschläger D L 25 2018 Linz, Austria
89 Clemens Krainz F R 19 2018 Graz, Austria
77 Philipp Lindner D L 25 2019 Innsbruck, Austria
9 Parker MacKay RW R 26 2020 Irma, Alberta, Canada
72 Kevin Moderer C R 30 2018 Graz, Austria
35 Felix Nussbacher G L 21 2019 Graz, Austria
74 Daniel Oberkofler F L 32 2017 Graz, Austria
18 Ken Ograjensek RW R 29 2016 Celje, Slovenia
11 Travis Oleksuk C L 32 2018 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
80 Julian Pauschenwein F L 20 2018 Graz, Austria
17 Johan Porsberger RW R 27 2020 Östersund, Sweden
27 Kilian Rappold F R 18 2019 Graz, Austria
31 Olivier Rodrigue G R 20 2020 Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
91 Oliver Setzinger D L 37 2016 Horn, Austria

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Graz 99ers- Team -Roster" (in German). Graz 99ers. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
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