The Vienna Capitals and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV meet on Sunday with nine points each after six games. Vienna sit eighth in the table, with Villach one place behind in ninth. The Capitals arrive after a 4-0 win over Innsbruck, while VSV beat Milano 7-2 in their latest game.
For Capitals coach Mike Stewart, the trip to Villach is also a return to a club where he played from 2001 to 2010. The former defender won two titles with VSV, and his number 4 has been retired. “After spending so long in Villach with my family, this will be a special game for me,” Stewart said. He added that Vienna’s aim was to earn points.
Stewart said returning to the Villacher Stadthalle, where his name is displayed, would feel strange, but that he could focus on the job. He also said he still holds the VSV fans in his heart and looks forward to seeing former friends. He took his first coaching steps in Villach before working in Germany, and joined the Capitals as head coach this summer. The game will be shown live on ORF Sport+.