Although he was quite successful there, winning U20 World Championship gold twice with Canada, relying on an "experiment," especially after the previous season's historic quarter-final sweep, has failed spectacularly.
What McIlvane and David Achieved
In insider circles, it is often said that this Salzburg squad, with all its alpha males in the locker room, needs a coach who gives the team a long leash and simply lets them play.
While the last championship-winning coaches Matt McIlvane and Oliver David also exuded authority, they simultaneously managed to find the right balance and build a good rapport with the team.
Their successor Manny Viveiros did not achieve this; he couldn't keep the team together and get it back on track during difficult phases. Letang had to bear the consequences of this, but not only.
Controversial Roster Planning
Together with Sports Director Helmut Schlögl, he assembled a squad that has lost further quality compared to last season.
This is particularly evident in the import sector after the departures of Tyler Lewington, Troy Bourke, and Travis St. Denis; the trio could not be adequately replaced. They resorted to shelves they would hardly have picked from before.
Additionally, while the increased integration of academy players into the professional team is commendable, it comes far too late. Not to mention that a long list of homegrown Austrians has sought greener pastures in recent years.
Paul Huber, Oskar Maier, Paul Stapelfeldt, and others had no great prospects in Salzburg; especially before the playoffs, a foreign player was repeatedly put ahead of them.
They took on bigger roles elsewhere in the league; Huber and Stapelfeldt even became champions with Graz and are not the only ones now excelling in the national team.
Homegrown Problems Don't Reflect Well on Sports Director Schlögl
Schlögl is responsible for this, bearing a significant share of the misery.
For six years, all decisions along the Salzach have passed through his hands; under his aegis, the Red Bulls celebrated four championships. Since then, the 48-year-old has made several missteps that would have already cost other sports officials their jobs.
In addition to various questionable roster decisions, Schlögl has now erred significantly in the choice of coach for the second time in a row, as they were completely unprepared after Oliver David's surprising departure following the 2025 championship title.
His former assistant coach Ben Cooper would have been the designated successor but was let go shortly before. The Canadian subsequently took over as head coach at league rival Olimpija Ljubljana and promptly led the Slovenians to the semi-finals.
Only Fehervar and the Pioneers are Worse
The field players also did their now-former coach a disservice with numerous blackouts; goalkeepers Atte Tolvanen and David Kickert were let down multiple times.
They, as well as the sports management, are now obligated. In the win2day ICE Hockey League, after eleven games, only Fehervar AV19 and Pioneers Vorarlberg are worse. The worst season start in club history is on record.
So far, victories have only been celebrated against clubs currently ranked 6th (Milano), 9th (FTC), 13th (Fehervar), and 14th (Pioneers) in the standings. This is a damning indictment for Salzburg ice hockey; more and more fans are staying away from the Eisarena.
One cannot blame them.
Clean Slate Necessary in Summer?
Meanwhile, the most difficult – and currently most thankless – task awaits Teemu Levijoki.
The long-time head coach of the Red Bull Hockey Juniors is now supposed to bring about a turnaround, but his resume shows not a single game as head coach of a professional team.
In the current situation, he was not only the most obvious but also the most cost-effective option. Levijoki is now tasked with being the crisis manager, getting the team back in shape, and leading them up the standings.
From what has been gathered from his time with the Juniors, there will likely be more stick than carrot under his leadership. Whether this will be the right methodology for this team remains to be seen in the coming months.
If not, it's not impossible that a clean slate will be made across all areas of EC Red Bull Salzburg in the summer.
