Despite the VW crisis, the club will shake up the league

Wolfsburg-Wolfsburgh. Augsburg and Ingolstadt will open the 31st DEL season on Thursday, and the Grizzlys will start their 19th season in the top division of ice hockey a day later (7:30 p.m.) in Bremerhaven. The team from Allerpark finished the last main round in a strong fourth place, and in the playoffs they were eliminated in the first round against Munich. Grizzlys manager Charly Fliegauf confirmed on Wednesday at the official press conference before the start of the season that they want to be among the top six in the league in the coming season. “The way the league is structured, a lot of things have to go right for us to be among the top six.”

The 63-year-old, who has been in charge in Wolfsburg since 2007, never tires of emphasizing that there are financially stronger teams in the DEL. First and foremost, he includes Red Bull Munich and the Adler Mannheim; the Palatinate team brought a prominent player, Marc Michaelis, back to the DEL this summer. While Fliegauf mainly takes care of the sporting side of things at Wolfsburg, his fellow managing director Hartmut Rickel is responsible for finances. It is no secret that the club is heavily dependent on its main sponsor VW. Nor is it a secret that the company is in crisis. Do Grizzlys fans have to worry that the car company will give us less money in the future? “No, VW is a reliable partner for us. There have been no signals that they will reduce the state funding in the short term. For this season, it is certain that things will stay the same as before. “Based on the economic circumstances, we are in the middle of the league and are making the most of our opportunities,” explained the finance director at the press conference. The contract is performance-related; if the Grizzlys make it far in the playoffs, VW will loosen up a little more money.

Grizzlys want to maintain average attendance

In addition to sponsorship, the Grizzlys also rely on income from day and season ticket sales. Here, the numbers in Wolfsburg – as in the entire league – increased last year. An average of 3,241 spectators attended the 26 main round home games last season, and the Grizzlys want to reach this figure again in the coming season. According to the club, around 2,500 tickets have been sold so far for the first home game on Sunday (4:30 p.m.) against Düsseldorf, and the club is hoping to attract 3,000 fans at the start, despite the nice weather. The club is also satisfied with season ticket sales, having already sold more season tickets than at the same time last year, although the exact number is not being disclosed. “In addition to merchandising and sponsors, spectator revenue is one of our most important sources of income.” When things didn’t go well at some home games at the beginning of last season, when we had 2,000 or 2,500 people there, we always looked internally to see how we could make adjustments. “The direct exchange with the fans is also important to us,” emphasises Rickel.

Despite the importance of the economic conditions, what ultimately matters is what happens on the ice. Mike Stewart will once again be primarily responsible for this next season; the head coach is entering his fourth season at Allerpark. The 53-year-old is happy with the squad that his manager Fliegauf has put together for him. The Grizzlys signed five new players this summer, including two U23 players. Despite this, the Grizzlys have the oldest squad in the league with an average age of 29.4 years. Or, as the Grizzlys say, the most experienced. “The best teams in all top leagues have experience.” If you’re healthy, your early 30s are actually the perfect age. “I’m happy with the mix in our team,” says Stewart.

The Canadian-born player has been in the business for a long time, but he is particularly excited these days when the season begins on Friday with the cracker against Bremerhaven. He will only have played against each team once before he can make an accurate prediction as to what will be possible for the Grizzlys. But Stewart knows that Grizzlys fans are longing for the title to finally come to Wolfsburg. “The title is always our dream, we are all professionals and we are working to win it.” But I also know that the season is long and there is no point in thinking about it too much now. “We have to take it step by step,” says Stewart. The “Big 3” of Mannheim, Berlin and Munich are seen as competitors for the top spots. “But Ingolstadt has also improved a lot; last year they had a slip-up. Bremerhaven also quickly stayed together, even though they have a new coach.” Bremerhaven was THE surprise of the league last year, the Grizzlys hope that they can surprise a few teams next year.

AZ/WAZ