Thomas Klassek (21 years old, from Klagenfurt)
Position: Defender
Team: RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
One assist in six games
Klassek is in his second of four years at the US college and, after a good freshman year, is considered one of RPI's key players.
On average, the Carinthian receives over 20 minutes of ice time per game. In the first game of the season against Ohio State, he assisted on a goal – his only point this season so far.
The 21-year-old possesses offensive skills and good vision, and his skating and stick work are also solid. However, he is not the most physically strong defenseman, although he has already gained mass in college.
Ian Scherzer (21 years old, from Villach)
Position: Center
Team: RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
Two goals and two assists in six games
This is also Scherzer's second year in the NCAA; he joined RPI last season along with Klassek. Unlike his countryman, Scherzer had previously played one season in the USHL with the Madison Capitols.
His freshman year was mixed, yet the Carinthian made it into Austria's World Championship squad and played three games in Zurich.
He seems to have carried that confidence into the new season, scoring a goal and an assist in victories over Long Island University (3:2) and RIT (4:1).
While the Villach native received only twelve and ten minutes of ice time respectively in two games at the start of the season, his Time on Ice (TOI) has recently increased to 15 to 16 minutes per game.
Vasily Zelenov (20 years old, from Moscow)
Position: Center
Team: University of Wisconsin
One goal and six assists in four games
The Russian-born player, who has held Austrian citizenship since June 2024 and has represented the red-white-red team at two U20 World Championships, has enjoyed a dream start to his sophomore year in the NCAA.
Right from the season opener against Robert Morris University (4:2), he recorded three assists, and in the matchups against Minnesota State University (4:0, 4:1), he added a goal and three more assists.
At one point, the Buffalo Sabres' seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was even the fifth-best scorer in the entire NCAA, building on a strong finish to last season.
With Wisconsin, Zelenov participated in the "Frozen Four," the national college final tournament, and even scored the interim 1-0 goal in the final against Denver. Although the game was lost 1-2, the center was later selected to the Frozen Four All-Star Team.
The Buffalo Sabres recently dedicated a prospect report to him, in which Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings stated: "We know our time with Vasily will probably be short. He won't be here for four years. If he continues on the path he's currently on, he'll get a chance in Buffalo."
United States Hockey League (USHL):
Leon Buzek (19 years old, from Vienna)
Position: Center
Teams: Sioux Falls Stampede, Anchorage Wolverines (NAHL)
One goal and two assists in nine games
Buzek spent at least a little over a month in the most important junior hockey league in the USA.
The Viennese player initially made the cut with the reigning USHL champion Sioux Falls, playing six games there and recording one assist.
However, in mid-October, the 19-year-old was sent back to the Anchorage Wolverines in the NAHL (North American Hockey League), where he had played last season. There, he is given a larger role than on Sioux Falls' fourth line.
After three games, Buzek has one goal and one assist.
Western Hockey League (WHL):
Konstantin Hutzinger (19 years old, from Wels)
Position: Winger
Team: Saskatoon Blades
One goal and one assist in twelve games
Hutzinger earned a "Scholarship and Development Agreement" with the Saskatoon Blades through strong performances in the preseason, tallying two goals and two assists in four appearances.
With the WHL team, the Upper Austrian does not take up one of the three import spots due to his Canadian roots and is primarily deployed on the third and fourth forward lines.
Hutzinger celebrated his first goal on October 11 against the Regina Pats (5:2), scoring the 1-0 from a sharp angle. The Wels native had already recorded his first assist two weeks prior.
At last year's U20 Division IA World Championship, Hutzinger was the tournament's top scorer with five goals and seven assists in five games.
Ontario Hockey League (OHL):
Leon Kolarik (19 years old, from Vienna)
Position: Winger
Team: Peterborough Petes
Seven goals and five assists in 13 games
The Viennese player has embarked on his second year in Peterborough this season and has had a strong start.
Seven goals in 13 games is the highest mark for the Petes, shared with Czech NHL first-round pick Adam Novotny. Overall, Kolarik is the team's third-best scorer and was only held pointless in three games.
The Viennese seems to have learned the right lessons from an already good debut year, after which he even participated in the Ice Hockey World Championship with Austria. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for an NHL draft pick.
The U20 Division IA World Championship is scheduled for mid-December, and it will be Kolarik's third and final one. Hopes for promotion will be linked, among other things, to his performances there.
Paul Schuster (17 years old, from Vienna)
Position: Winger
Team: Erie Otters
One goal and two assists in 13 games
Schuster is one of the youngest players on the Erie Otters. Connor McDavid's former junior team selected the 17-year-old 19th overall in the CHL Import Draft.
His debut season in the OHL started promisingly; on the first weekend against the Kitchener Rangers (4:3, 3:4 OT), he immediately tallied his first goal and first assist.
However, things slowed down a bit afterward, which is not surprising given the major adjustment and his young age. On October 10, he did score the game-winner in a 4-3 shootout victory over the London Knights.
The Viennese player's work ethic stands out; he gives 100 percent and more every shift, but still needs to find his role in Erie.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL):
Johannes Dobrovolny (18 years old, from Klagenfurt)
Position: Winger
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Three goals and five assists in twelve games
In the last CHL Import Draft, Baie-Comeau built up a small Austrian contingent with Johannes Dobrovolny, Jonathan Oschgan, and David Waschnig, although the latter returned to Klagenfurt in September.
Dobrovolny, however, has stayed in Canada and, after a difficult pre-season, has found his stride with what is by far the weakest team in the QMJHL.
His first goal came in his second league appearance, and the Klagenfurt native is one of the very few consistent players on the league's bottom-ranked team. He has recorded at least one point in seven of twelve games.
With Baie-Comeau, the 18-year-old is primarily used in the top lines, and his experience from 30 games in the win2day ICE Hockey League for KAC certainly benefits him.
Jonathan Oschgan (18 years old, from Linz)
Position: Center
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Two goals and six assists in 13 games
Like Dobrovolny, Oschgan was also selected by Baie-Comeau in the Import Draft, but in the first round at 20th overall.
After his first professional season with the Black Wings Linz, the Linz native moved to Quebec, where he also had a good start to his new adventure.
In the first game of the season, he immediately made his mark with two assists. Oschgan currently leads the team's internal scoring list alongside Dobrovolny.
Unlike in Austria, the reliable two-way center primarily appears as a playmaker, receiving ice time on both power plays and penalty kills. His face-off win percentage of 47.4 percent, however, still has room for improvement.
Paul Sintschnig (17 years old, from Klagenfurt)
Position: Winger
Team: Halifax Mooseheads
Three goals and six assists in twelve games
The biggest Austrian talent of recent years was selected second overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Halifax Mooseheads, thus playing for the team that once featured Nathan MacKinnon and Nico Hischier.
However, the start to his draft year – Sintschnig was recently given a "B" rating (second to third-round pick) by NHL Central Scouting – has not been easy.
With nine points, his season so far has been somewhat below expectations, though an early highlight was his first goal in front of 8,000 fans at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
Given his existing professional experience, it was assumed that he could immediately take on a significant scoring role in Halifax. However, the pressure Sintschnig evidently puts on himself plays a role, and the adjustment to the smaller ice surface is proving more difficult than anticipated.
Defensively, at least, the 17-year-old holds his own, boasting the team's best plus/minus rating at +10. However, the winger is only seventh on the team's internal scoring list. He averages around 19 minutes of ice time per game.
On Wednesday (local time), he was honored by being one of 40 players selected for the QMJHL Top Prospects Game. In Team Lafleur's 7-2 victory over Team Crosby, to which Sintschnig belonged, he recorded an assist on the 2-0 goal and generally put in a good performance.
Nico Uschan (19, from Villach)
Position: Defender
Team: Halifax Mooseheads
Two goals in twelve games
Uschan was also drafted by Halifax in the Import Draft and was one reason why Sintschnig went to Canada in the first place. Prior to the draft, a "package deal" was practically agreed upon, with the motto being either both or neither.
As a 2007-born player, Uschan wanted to seize what was likely his only chance to play in one of the world's top junior leagues. With the Mooseheads, Uschan fulfills his role as a defensive defenseman and has already scored two goals.
Additionally, he acts as Sintschnig's bodyguard and perhaps greatest motivator, a player he has known for many years. In Halifax, they are housed together with a host family.
His goal after his time in Halifax, which will end after next season at the latest, is already set: college hockey in the USA.
