Thomas Raffl

Thomas Raffl (born on June 19, 1986 in Villach) is an Austrian professional ice hockey left/right winger who currently plays with the EC Salzburg of the ICEHL. His father Peter Raffl also played hockey. His younger brother is Michael Raffl.

Club career
Raffl began playing junior hockey with the Villacher SV organisation. He made his senior debut during the 2003-04 season when he played 25 regular season games and 4 play-off games with the Villacher SV of the EBEL while he also played 23 games with the Villacher SV under-20 team.

In the 2004-05 season, Raffl played 44 regular season games and 3 play-off games with the Villacher SV of the EBEL and 7 games with the Villacher SV under-20 team.

In 2005, Raffl moved to North America to play with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL but he played there only 12 games before moving to the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. After 21 games played there, he moved to the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL but played there only 4 games. After these, Raffl returned to Austria and finished the season with 3 games played with the Villacher SV under-20 team and 6 regular season games and 13 play-off games played with the Villacher SV of the EBEL becoming the EBEL champion with the Villacher SV.

Raffl then continued with the Villacher SV of the EBEL until the end of the 2008-09 season.

In 2009, Raffl moved to Sweden and played the 2009-10 season with the Luleå HF of the Elitserien.

Raffl also began the 2010-11 season with the Luleå HF of the Elitserien but after 22 games played, he moved back to Austria and finished the season with the EC Salzburg of the EBEL. He played in 25 regular season games and 16 play-off games with the EC Salzburg in this season becoming the EBEL champion for the second time.

Raffl continued with the EC Salzburg of the EBEL until the end of the 2014-15 season. In the 2011-12 season became Raffl the 2011 European Trophy champion with the EC Salzburg and in the 2014-15 season the EBEL champion.

Raffl also began the 2015-16 season with the EC Salzburg of the EBEL but after just one game played, he moved to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. He finished there the season with 31 games played. Thanks to his one game played with the EC Salzburg in this season, he became again the EBEL champion.

Since 2016, Raffl is again playing with the EC Salzburg of the EBEL (since the 2020-21 season ICEHL). He is currently signed there until the end of the 2021-22 season.

International career
Raffl played with the Austrian National Team at the 2004 World U18 Championship Division I (winning there bronze), 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships Division I (winning bronze at the 2005 tournament), 2008 and 2010 World Championships Division I (winning gold at both tournaments), 2011, 2015 and 2019 World Championship s (being named one of the top 3 players on the Austrian team at the 2015 tournament), 2012 and 2017 World Championships Division IA (winning silver at the 2012 tournament and gold at the 2017 tournament where he was also named the top player on the Austrian squad, the most valuable player of the tournament and was also named into the tournament's all-star team) and at the 2014 Olympics.