LAOLA1: The summer was a long one after the pre-playoff exit. How stressful was it?
Philipp Lukas: There was a lot to do. Not only regarding squad planning and team assembly, but also in terms of reflection. You have to think when things in life or in sports don't go as you wish. I invested a lot of time in that. How can I further my education, how can I develop, what actually happened, and what could I have done differently? It was a valuable time; you learn the most from setbacks. I am confident that we were able to put together a collective with which we can look happily towards the future.
Da muss man sich als Coach in den Spiegel schauen und darf nicht davor zurückschrecken, Verantwortung zu übernehmen.
LAOLA1: The past year was the first in your era as coach and sporting director where things didn't go steeply uphill; performance collapsed.
Lukas: I can't disagree - that's how it felt. Of course, the year was disappointing. We had hoped that the team would be capable of achieving more. My primary goal is to help our team unlock its potential. We definitely failed to do that. As a coach, you have to look yourself in the mirror and not shy away from taking responsibility. The question of why it didn't work out was very difficult to answer after the season.
LAOLA1: Did you find an answer?
Lukas: It was a combination of several factors. We had a bad start, so we were immediately in a situation where we had to make up a lot of ground. At home, we played a lot of good hockey, but on the road, we repeatedly dropped points we needed and never found our rhythm. Then confidence was lacking. And there were certainly situations that I could have managed differently. I don't want to go into more detail now, but it was something where I naturally tried to develop further to handle it differently in the future.
LAOLA1: Was it about how you interact with the players, speaking with them personally, but also as an entire team?
Lukas: Yes. How do you approach things in difficult situations, how do you manage everything? How much overall coaching is needed, how valuable is individual coaching? The key often lies in communication, and I think there was - at least last year - definite potential for improvement there.
LAOLA1: In what way?
Lukas: I'm not being hard on myself at all right now, but quite transparent. It was a very stressful situation from the very first moment because we simply didn't perform as we would have liked. So, you try to fix the situation repeatedly and think about how we can best address the team again. But somehow, it never really worked out.
LAOLA1: Did the sensational semi-final run the year before perhaps lead to the belief that things would automatically continue in that vein?
Lukas: I can't answer what was going on in the players' heads - but sometimes it seemed as if things would take care of themselves. I don't want to say that we weren't prepared to put in the effort, because the commitment was largely there. But when tension predominates, it's very difficult to play the game intuitively. And the game is simply too fast to go out and constantly try to force things. Even when we had some good games, we never capitalized on them to build any confidence. But enough has been said about the past; we are looking very positively towards the future.
LAOLA1: The consequence of the early season exit was an overhaul. Eleven players left, ten new ones arrived. Why was this cut necessary?
Lukas: The result wasn't right. The conclusions drawn were that we had an opportunity to rejuvenate our team and give it fresh, new blood. Not only in the import sector, but also among Austrian players. I think we have strengthened ourselves with the options we had on the market. We have many new Austrians on board who can slide into a position where they have very good chances to take the next step. From the start, we will play with eight foreign players instead of eleven, as we did last year. I am confident and look forward to the task.
Linz ist mittlerweile auch wieder eine sehr attraktive Adresse im österreichischen Eishockey.
LAOLA1: Philipp Wimmer has prematurely terminated his contract in Salzburg to come to Linz. Lukas Kainz became champion in Graz. Oskar Maier played a great season with the Pioneers Vorarlberg. With what arguments were they convinced to join the Black Wings?
Lukas: I don't even know if we had to make many arguments. Oskar Maier, Marlon Tschofen, Philipp Wimmer, Luis Lindner, Christoph Tialler, Luca Erne – these are all guys I know from my time with the U20 national team. They were all in Edmonton (at the World Juniors 2021, Ed.) and are great guys. They were all U20 national team players at that time – and hopefully, they will also become A-national team players in the future. The potential is there. That's why I believe we have positioned ourselves well for the future with these players, with whom we naturally have to work and help them to develop further. Linz has also become a very attractive destination in Austrian ice hockey again, and the guys were very willing to come here.
LAOLA1: It's noticeable that only two import defencemen are planned for the defence. Why take this bold step?
Lukas: We have opportunities here for some players to grow into roles and take on more responsibility. Greg Moro is now in his third year with us and definitely has a leadership role. With Vojtech Mozik, we decided to observe him in the coming weeks and see how that develops. That is, of course, an important position for us. I don't see it as a risk, but as a huge opportunity, because I am convinced that our young Austrians can be very good ice hockey players by the age of 24.
LAOLA1: Speaking of risk: Is Brady Shaw's signing, given his past in Innsbruck, one?
Lukas: No, not for me. I did my homework, talked to him at length about these matters. None of us have been flawless in our careers. Neither has he. He is aware of this, so the focus is on moving forward. From what I've learned about Brady, he's a great guy. I'm confident that he will fit into our team – otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this step.
LAOLA1: What can he bring to the team on the ice?
Lukas: No matter where he has played so far: he has always produced. He is a goal threat and radiates danger in every situation when he is on the ice. We have experienced that ourselves in the past. As soon as he is on the ice, you have to be vigilant because he can create offence. That was important to us.
LAOLA1: With what goals do Black Wings Linz start the season?
Lukas: Our goal is to make the playoffs and play for the championship.
LAOLA1: The league seems to have gotten even closer, perhaps more balanced than ever before.
Lukas: It already showed last year how tight this league is. Anyone can beat anyone. But the focus is on working on our game, finding our identity, growing together as a team as quickly as possible, and establishing our style of play.
LAOLA1: Thank you for the interview!
