Monday, 19. January 2026 |
Leonidas Award 2026
For 40 years, the Leonidas Gala has been a fixture in the Austrian sports world. The "Salzburger Nachrichten" newspaper annually puts athletes, coaches, and rookies in the spotlight, honoring their sporting achievements in the past season. All nominees are either native Salzburgers or registered with a Salzburg club.
In the "Athlete" category, Thomas Raffl, captain of EC Red Bull Salzburg, has earned his nomination with his recent 1,000th league game. 1,000 games represent years of hard training and consistently strong performance. Last season, as captain, Thomas Raffl led his Red Bulls to their fourth consecutive win2day ICE Hockey League title.
After a long career in the world's best ice hockey league, the NHL, and subsequently in the top European league in Switzerland (NL), Michael Raffl joined the Red Bulls in Salzburg last summer and is showcasing his talent with the defending ICE Hockey League champions. After 39 rounds in the current regular season, he is the Red Bulls' top scorer with 16 goals and 22 assists.
Head Coach Manny Viveiros (Coach category) also joined the Red Bulls last summer, taking over the challenging role from his predecessor, who handed over a successful team that had won four consecutive championships. The experienced 60-year-old coach has steered the Red Bulls back on track after a difficult period last fall, leading them to a 12-game winning streak and currently to third place in the standings.
Voting is open until March 15th. Everyone can cast one vote per day in the various categories.
Next home game of the Red Bulls
On 28 January vs. Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Eisarena Salzburg | 7.15 p.m.
Livestream
4.190 Thomas Raffl Joins the Elite 1,000-Game Club// PLAYER PORTRAIT
Mit Video
Summer chat with the new head coach and both Raffl brothers// PRESS CONFERENCE
Manny Viveiros is the new Head Coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg// TEAM UPDATE