Lebler has already been the top scorer of the season five times, always in the dress of Linzer, for whom he has played since 2011 with the exception of 2015/16 (Ingolstadt). The 33-year-old Austro-Canadian has scored 317 goals and 233 assists in a total of 561 league games for the Black Wings. “In the last two years, not making the play-offs with Linz was and is really hard for me. I always want to play for the championship at the highest level,” explained Lebler in a Salzburg broadcast.

Schwinger scored nine goals and nine assists in 44 games for the “Bulldogs” this season. The 24-year-old offers new offensive opportunities, “on the other hand, he gives us the necessary depth for the play-offs,” said “Caps” coach Dave Barr in a statement on Wednesday about the twelve-time team player. As fourth in the league, the Viennese have a good chance of qualifying directly for the quarter-finals. On Thursday, the capital cities will be guests at Olimpija Ljubljana, on Friday at the Pustertal Wolves.

Bernard returns to South Tyrol. The 31-year-old has made 30 appearances for VSV so far this season, but was replaced by Tomi Karhunen from Finland last week. For Bernard, the younger brother of HCB captain Anton Bernard, it is his third engagement with the Bolzano team.