Who is responsible for the youth work? Well, who takes care of the young talent? The clubs! If this requires expensive infrastructure, this can lead to existential problems in times like these. The first example is the UEC “The Dragons” Mödling. The ice hockey club has existed since 1972 and the ice skating rink in Mödling since 1930, making it, like the one at Engelmann in Vienna’s 17th district, one of the oldest artificial ice rinks in Austria. Currently we are fighting for survival. To draw attention to the problem, the Dragons organized a Winter Classic against the Vienna Scalpels on Friday a week ago. The fact that we were able to win the match 9:3 in front of 350 spectators is little consolation. It is feared that the facility will be closed in 2026.
