Philipp Wimmer Leaves Salzburg
Philipp Wimmer, who still had a contract with the Red Bulls, will no longer play for them and will be taking on new challenges next season. Wimmer joined the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy in 2017 and made his professional debut in 2021. Over the past five years, he played a total of 105 games (5 goals, 17 assists) with the Red Bulls, contributing to three ICE Hockey League championships. The Vienna native was repeatedly sidelined by injuries but always fought his way back with hard work and patience. Last season, he played 24 ICE Hockey League games (1 goal, 5 assists) with the professionals and 7 games (6 assists) with the Red Bull Hockey Juniors in the AHL.
Niki Kraus ends his professional career
After two years in Salzburg, Nikolaus Kraus, 29, is calling it quits and ending his active professional career after his expiring contract was not renewed. The forward joined the Red Bulls from Klagenfurt in 2024 and played 84 ICE Hockey League games for Salzburg over the past two years. The 29-year-old Vienna native was a particularly team-oriented player with his great fighting spirit and thus played a major role in Salzburg's last title win in the 2024/25 win2day ICE Hockey League.
Before that, the forward played nine years in Klagenfurt and celebrated two more championship titles with KAC. In total, Kraus played 375 ICE Hockey League games for both clubs. In 2025, he reached the quarterfinals with the Austrian national team at the World Championship in Sweden.
Statement by Niki Kraus: “It was another two wonderful years in Salzburg, and I was very happy to win a title and thus achieve my goal with Salzburg, even though it was only one. I had a great time, especially with so many friends from Vienna and childhood friends from Salzburg, but I've now realized it's time to pursue my other interests, which I've always had, and I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my life. I thank the Red Bulls for their excellent professional support and wish my former teammates all the best for the coming years.”
EC Red Bull Salzburg thanks both players for their contributions and wishes them all the best and continued success in their personal and professional lives.
