EHC Red Bull München: Champion player with honours

Friday, 28. June 2024 | EHC Red Bull München: Champion player with honours

The perfect mix: how successful teams workPart 2 of our Crunchtime Player series: Master players with honours// CURRENTA lot of things have to come together to become German champion. Maximilian Kastner has won the title four times with EHC Red Bull München. The striker explains what a successful collective looks like - and what the "swag" is all about.

You don't become champions by chance. One cog has to mesh with another for an entire season. But what characterizes successful teams? "The quality of play in the squad is of course the basic prerequisite. It is just as important that all players are prepared to put their egos aside." And further: "If you then build up the 'swag' and feel invincible, you're virtually unstoppable."

That has often been the case in Munich in recent years. Six finals appearances, five main round victories and four German championships are on the books for the team, which was only promoted to the top German league in 2010. No other club in Germany has been more successful in the recent past. With and because of players such as Kastner, Konrad Abeltshauser, Andreas Eder and Maximilian Daubner.

"Every title has its own special story"

Kastner moved to Munich permanently for the 2015/16 season, Abeltshauser joined during that season. It ended with our first German championship against Wolfsburg. Since then, numbers 93 (Kastner) and 16 (Abeltshauser) have been figureheads of our club. "Kasti" takes us on a journey through time. "Of course you don't forget the first championship. To repeat it a year later with almost the same team against the same opponent was something special," says the 31-year-old.

And it continued: "2018 against Berlin, game seven. You have the chance to win the treble, the emotions drive you completely crazy. I remember that I hardly slept beforehand. And then you complete the title hat-trick. Amazing!" A dry spell followed before the Red Bulls won their fourth title in 2023.

"In between there was a defeat in the final and the coronavirus year. The success in the final against Ingolstadt was a huge relief," says Kastner. He is eager for more, because: "Every championship has its own story."

With dirty work to the final MVP

Kastner and Abeltshauser were involved in all four titles. And always important - sometimes even formative. "Koni" was voted "DEL Defender of the Year" in 2017. Kastner's highlight came in 2023, when he was voted Finals MVP. I never thought that was possible. I'll never be a classic scorer, but I am and will always be someone who does the dirty work. Someone who eats pucks. I was really happy that this was honored," says Kastner.

Patrick Hager on his past successes & goals for the new season

What he doesn't say is that he can score and also score goals. "Kasti" has contributed at least one goal in every successful finals series. Nevertheless, he sees himself as a team player who always thinks about his teammates: "Without my teammates Patrick Hager and Chris DeSousa, the personal award would not have been possible. We worked really well together." A few weeks later, he won World Championship silver with the German national team: "I still get goosebumps when I think back to that time."

Eder and Daubner 2023 with their unforgettable moments

Eder and Daubner will not forget the 2022/23 season either. Eder celebrated his third title. He played a big part in it himself, scoring the game-winning goal in the fourth victory against Ingolstadt. And Daubner? He did his job reliably in his first title win. Just as we know him. And the way players do when team success is more important to them than anything else.

But Kastner and Abeltshauser are still some way off. Because our veterans are going for their fifth title this season. Of the current DEL players, only Constantin Braun has won five championships (all with Berlin). Kastner is convinced that a fifth title is possible: "We have the quality to win the title, there's no question about that. And if we manage to build up the 'swag' again, anything is possible." He should know.