BUDAPEST – Hungary named Ted Sator its new head coach of the men’s national team. He replaces Pat Cortina who was behind the Hungary bench for the last six years including the nation’s first appearance in the top division in 70 years at the 2009 World Championship.

But due to the World Championship, Cortina missed the final playoff series with Germany’s EHC München and decided to focus on his club team, which is aiming for promotion this season.

Sator is familiar with Hungarian hockey after coaching club team Alba Volan Szekesfehervar. Until 2002, he had several coaching positions in the NHL including 263 games as head coach of the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. He was also the assistant coach of Team USA in two Canada Cups. In Europe, he has coached in Italy, Finland, Slovenia and Hungary.

First Gabor Ocskay Memorial Tournament

Alba Volan Szekesfehervar has been renamed Sapa Fehervar AV 19 for the 2009-2010 season and has a new coach, Jarmo Tolvanen. Fehervar won newly-named Gabor Ocskay Memorial Tournament exhibition tournament. The tournament is in memory of Ocskay, who played for the club his entire career and died on March 24 just after winning the Hungarian championship.

Three teams from the Austrian league, the Graz 99ers, the Vienna Capitals and Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) played at the tournament, which was won by Fehervar after a 4-3 win over Vienna in the final.


Fehervar wins the Gabor Ocskay Memorial Tournament. Photo: Fejer Megyei Hirlap