HCP-Goalies: Smith departs, Bernard stays, and Roy arrives
The HC Pustertal has made a change in the goalie position, with Jacob Smith being replaced by a well-known Canadian player in the ICE Hockey League. Smith, who joined Bruneck in the summer of 2022, has now left the team. Despite moving up in the hierarchy alongside Andreas Bernard in the previous season and taking on the role of the number one goalie in the playoffs, the HCP officials, led by sports director Patrick Bona, have opted not to extend his contract. Instead, 33-year-old Bernard, who was the number one goalie in the regular season, will enter his second season with the Wölfe. It is likely that the Kaltern native will serve as the backup, as the team has signed Olivier Roy as a new goalie. Roy, a 32-year-old Canadian with a wealth of experience, first encountered European ice hockey in 2015 when he joined Olimpija Ljubljana in the former EBEL. He later played for Villacher SV and the Eispiraten Crimmitschau (DEL2) before landing at Augsburger Panther (DEL) in 2017. In Bavaria, the 6-foot tall, 194-pound goalie played four and a half seasons, consistently maintaining a save percentage above 91%.
In 2022, Roy returned to the ICE Hockey League after spending the last two years with Fehervar. During this time, he gained experience with HC Pustertal as well. In this year’s playoff quarterfinals, he played in all seven games, but could not prevent the Hungarian club’s elimination against the Wölfe. However, his performances caught the attention of the HCP management, leading to his transfer to the Intercable Arena.
Overall, the departure of Smith, the retention of Bernard, and the arrival of Roy mark significant changes in the goalie position for HC Pustertal. Fans will be eagerly anticipating how these moves will impact the team’s performance in the upcoming season.
Keywords: HC Pustertal, goalies, Jacob Smith, Andreas Bernard, Olivier Roy, ICE Hockey League.