The Silver Coup's performance at the Ice Hockey World Championship.
The Ice Hockey World Championship is underway, and the German team is garnering more attention due to their silver medal win last year. Nevertheless, coach Harold Kreis and his players face a challenging situation. Who's part of the team, and how competitive is the tournament?
Location
In the Czech Republic's capital Prague and Ostrava, the former coal-mining area in the eastern Moravian-Silesian region will host the event. The Ostravar Arena, home of former champions HC Vitkovice, will hold all Group B matches featuring the German team. Meanwhile, Group A games will take place in the O2 Arena in Prague.
DEB's Goals
With last year's silver medal, expectations have skyrocketed. Kreis and the players are repeatedly asked about gold potential. "It's nice that people view us differently now, but for us it's essentially the same mindset as last year," stressed NHL forward Nico Sturm. Their initial target is making it to the quarter-finals, followed by whatever happens next.
German Team's Strength
The squad's strength could vary from team to team. As for defense, NHL star Moritz Seider and Mannheim's Leon Gawanke, who were crucial components in 2023, are absent. However, the offense could be even stronger this time, featuring NHL forward Lukas Reichel and Olympic silver medalists Yasin Ehliz and Leo Pföderl. The goaltending duo of NHL pro Philipp Grubauer and silver hero Mathias Niederberger provides strong support. Despite missing top forwards Justin Schütz and Mannheim's Matthias Plachta, the team has a solid lineup.
DEB Team's Assets
The majority of the World Championship runners-up from last year are back, including NHL forwards Nico Sturm and John-Jason Peterka. This squad experienced success firsthand and understands the importance of perseverance. They managed to rebound from three opening defeats in Tampere. Group matches in Ostrava will be tough: after bronze medalists Slovakia, USA, and Sweden are their first opponents. Kreis even prefers a challenging start.
DEB Team's Changes
Berlin champion coach Serge Aubin will assist Kreis. This DEL success story is responsible for guiding the forwards and power play at the World Championships. "He has significant responsibility; it's pretty much the same as at the club, except I give the team speech and make the final call," Kreis noted, benefitting from Aubin's expertise.
Favorites
On paper, several teams have higher potential than in 2023. With the NHL returning to the Olympic Games in 2026, many stars are eager to showcase their national team skills. Defending champions Canada rely on Connor Bedard, touted as the next Connor McDavid. Hosts the Czech Republic aim to claim another medal after a subpar 8th place last year and boast three NHL goalkeepers. In addition to Germany's group mates – the US with stars Johnny Gaudreau and Brady Tkachuk and Sweden with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Karlsson, and Victor Hedman – powerhouse Switzerland has superstar Roman Josi making his World Championship return after five years. Only Canada appears to have a higher chance of winning among these nations, as Finland lacks notable NHL players.
Broadcasting
For the first time, Pro7 is airing all German games and the playoffs live on free TV, while 15 further games will be broadcasted on Pro7 MAXX. MagentaSport will stream around 21 matches live. The entire tournament, covered by rights-holder Sportdeutschland.TV with all 64 matches, is also available for a fee.
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The German team aims to build on their silver medal performance at the World Championships, as they take on some of the world's best in Ice Hockey. Despite the absence of key defenders from last year's team, the offensive lineup looks stronger than ever, featuring players like NHL forward Lukas Reichel and Olympic silver medalists Yasin Ehliz and Leo Pföderl.
Following their troublesome start in the previous tournament in Tampere, the World Championship runners-up from last year are back with a resilient mindset, led by NHL forwards Nico Sturm and John-Jason Peterka. They will face stiff competition in their Group B matches in Ostrava, starting with bronze medalists Slovakia.
Source: www.ntv.de
