His Club Career
The Graz native moved early to the Red Bull Academy, working his way up through the U18 and U19 teams to the AlpsHL team. In the 19/20 season, he still split time between the farm team and the EBEL, but for the next four seasons, he played exclusively in the top league.
It was essentially a linear path; however, despite his performances improving year after year, he always had to queue behind established players, and more than a (at best) third-line role and promises for a better future never materialized. His last season in Salzburg (23/24), with only two goals in the regular season, was also his weakest. Only in the playoffs did he return to his usual form.
The Salzburg chapter was then to be closed after that season, especially as Philipp Pinter, sports manager of the ambitious Graz99ers, vied for him. Here, he was one of the key players from the start; top-6 minutes and special teams ice time no longer had to be negotiated.
Remarkably, since the 23/24 season, his last in Salzburg, he hasn't missed a single game, proving himself an "Iron Man." In Graz, he has also emerged as a reliable goal scorer: 17, 18, and already seven goals this year.
Also impressive: In the playoffs, the left-handed shot often manages to step it up: In Graz's championship year, he contributed eight goals in twelve games and was able to celebrate his fourth EBEL/ICE title.
His National Team Career
Only one U18 and one U20 tournament are on his record. I still remember the U18 World Championship in Kyiv today: In the first two games, he had to watch from the bench as Peter Paul Sivec was deployed in his specialty as a power-play ram in front of the net.
Sivec now plays in Velden, while Huber fulfills this role for both his club and the national team.
After the U20 World Championship in 2019, with eight points in five games, his international career also began: The following season, he debuted for the national team, and a year later, his first Men's World Championship followed, where he was a regular starter in the subsequent four tournaments. Besides his power-play duties, he also had the opportunity to prove himself on the penalty kill under Roger Bader, a role he sometimes still battles for in his club team.
The Player Type
Without overusing the inflationary term "power forward" – but which Austrian forward comes closer to this archetype? At 194 centimeters and 102 kilograms, Huber brings NHL dimensions to the ice.
These naturally make him a weapon on the power play, where he can only be moved from the slot with great difficulty. In a league with many smaller defenders, he sometimes appears so gigantic, as if his birthplace were not Graz but Brobdingnag from "Gulliver's Travels."
Thanks to these size and reach advantages, he naturally collects a lot of "loose change" around the net, scoring with rebounds and loose pucks. Deflections are also part of his game, but there is still room for improvement in this discipline. Thomas Raffl – a very similar player – also only acquired this strength over years.
But gradually, more and more variations in Huber's game emerged: He now also frequently scores on the rush, with accurate and controlled wrist shots.
Also important: Despite his size and mass, he moves well, and with long strides on the forecheck, he can quickly close the distance to defenders and thus create turnovers. Of course, there are faster and more mobile, smaller players than him, which is also evident at World Championships. But the combination of size and footwork is still very good.
As mentioned, Huber now plays in all situations, shows no fear around the net, and dives headfirst into traffic. With him and captain Marcus Vela, the 99ers have two rams around the opponent's net.
Huber's hockey sense is well developed; he knows where he belongs on the ice and by no means sacrifices defense for offense. With his long arms, he takes up a lot of space even without the puck, cutting off passing and shooting lanes.
I hesitate to call players like him "Gentle Giants"; this term is too often used pejoratively. However, he certainly doesn't have a big "mean streak," as evidenced by his low penalty minutes (highest value in 24/25: 24).
But in today's ice hockey, especially in the ICE, where goaltenders in and around the crease have recently been placed under protection, it's probably better this way. With his mass, an aggressive style of play would quickly lead to penalty trouble. Passively, however, he shields the puck very well and can free himself from battles in the corner.
Huber is primarily a goal scorer, as his "Cy Young" numbers in Graz also prove: 17, 18, and seven goals this year versus 12, 12, and five assists. Huber is by no means selfish, can distribute pucks in traffic, and makes the passes one can expect from him, but he is certainly not a playmaker.
What's Next for Him?
Players with his dimensions and finishing qualities are sought after everywhere; it would be truly interesting to see him in a league with consistently larger opponents. At 26, he may still be considered a youngster in the ICE, but internationally he is at an age where a move abroad should happen sooner rather than later.
What he might be missing for interesting offers here: an outstanding World Championship. Performances in the ICE are viewed with reservations in other leagues, and he only has three goals on his record in a total of 35 Men's World Championship games. He only managed two points at all at the last World Championship in Zurich.
An outstanding tournament, or even just one or two games, could put him more into the spotlight of pro scouts. Nationally, he would, of course, still have almost ten good years ahead of him.
How many outstanding Austrian skaters are still in the ICE today? After Lukas Haudum's move, there are still Peter Schneider, Benjamin Nissner, Thimo Nickl, Michi Raffl, and namesake Mario Huber; not many more come to mind.
Paul Huber certainly belongs at least among the top 5 here, without great hymns of praise being heard about him. All these players eventually played abroad, even if only partly in junior or Allsvenskan leagues. Will this also open up for Paul Huber, or will he remain with the league as an attraction?
