Monday, 22. June 2026 |
Press conference with Alan Letang
Exactly one month ago, Letang was officially announced as the new head coach of the Red Bulls. For the 50-year-old Canadian, who is currently observing the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy's U21 camp and meeting some of the professionals from his future team, this is his third coaching position in Europe. Before his most recent stint in Germany – he stepped in as coach in Weiden on short notice in February of this year – he was an assistant coach in Zagreb and spent many years in the Canadian junior league OHL. The father of two adult children, a son and a daughter, most recently lived in Sarnia, Ontario. An excerpt from today's press conference:
Alan, how does your first day in Salzburg feel?
I'm thrilled with the academy and excited to see how things are done here. After my brief time in Weiden in the DEL2, I was given the opportunity to work with the Red Bulls. After a few discussions, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to take on this challenge. I can learn a lot from the organization here and I want to develop myself further. And here I am.
For you, this also means a return to the win2day ICE Hockey League (formerly the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga), where you yourself once played.
Yes, it's come full circle. I had a long career in the league with Innsbruck and Zagreb. And I still have very vivid memories of the games against the Red Bulls. Everything is constantly evolving, and I think the league is also growing and getting stronger all the time. Compared to the past, many more teams are competitive, and interesting new teams have joined. It's exciting to now return to the league as a coach. I'm also really looking forward to working with and utilizing the expertise of the existing Red Bulls coaching staff; that's very important to me.
What are your expectations for your first season with the Red Bulls?
I took on the job knowing that expectations in Salzburg are always very high. But with the Red Bulls, you have every opportunity to do your job well—as a coach, staff member, and player. And expectations are important, just like the mentality of wanting to win the championship. That's absolutely essential if you want to help a team develop.
"I could talk about ice hockey all day long."
Will there be any more import players?
I'm currently getting to know the team roster player by player. The foundation is there, as is the identity. My first priority is to build relationships with the players, to get to know the leaders—the players who have experienced all the highs and lows. And then we'll see. If it becomes necessary to make some adjustments here and there, we'll discuss it and act accordingly.
How would you describe your coaching style?
Passion, communication—those would be the two key words. I like to be involved in training on the ice, moving around with the players. And as I mentioned before, the relationship with the players is very important to me. I want to communicate with the guys; the door to the coaches' room is always open. They can come to me with problems or just talk about hockey. This has become increasingly important in hockey. I think more and more coaches are adopting this approach. I want the player to feel comfortable when they come to me.
Letang will fly back to Canada this week after the U21 camp. Team training for the Red Bulls in preparation for the 2026/27 season will then begin at the end of July.
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