First the league postponed its start, then one opponent after the other canceled, the spectators were locked out and in the end the national coach became infected with Corona. “A cancellation would have been relatively easy,” says DEB President Franz Reindl about the Germany Cup of the national ice hockey team, “but we don’t just fight on the ice, we also fight off it.” But even without head coach Toni Söderholm, without fans in the Krefeld Arena and with Latvia as the only international opponent, the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) holds its annual home tournament – as a »sign of life for our sport«, as Reindl emphasizes: »You have to have ice hockey on television again, you need to be present.«
The national players, most of whom have not played a game for almost eight months, are grateful to Reindl and Co. “It’s brave to let the tournament take place despite all the adversities,” says Captain Moritz Müller: “At some point we have to play ice hockey again, it’s our job.”
In March, the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) stopped playing, the playoffs fell victim to the pandemic, as did the World Cup in Switzerland. The puck was resting, the sport is fighting for survival more than ever after the renewed Corona lockdown. The Germany Cup, which begins on Thursday with the national team’s game against its own perspective team, should herald the return. The second division begins its season on Friday, and next week eight of the 14 DEL clubs will be on the ice at the Magenta Sport Cup – as a test run for the twice postponed start of the season, which should finally succeed on December 18th.
Because no fans are allowed in the Deutschland Cup, the DEB accepts a minus of around 300,000 euros. “Whining doesn’t help,” says Reindl and emphasizes: “I didn’t hesitate for a moment.” Not even when the original opponents Russia, Slovakia and Switzerland as well as substitute candidates Norway canceled. And not even when national coach Söderholm was positive in the mandatory entrance test for Corona.
From the quarantine in Munich, the Finn follows with “daily video sessions” (Reindl) how his national players present themselves after the long compulsory break. You are in a bubble in Krefeld. “We have no outside contact and we wear a mask everywhere,” reports Müller. The players also wear a tracker on their wrist, »which flashes red in panic when I’m too close and with someone for too long. We also have it on the ice so that if the test is positive you know who has been in contact with whom. “
Ghost games and strict corona measures: At the Deutschland Cup, players and those responsible can get used to what awaits them in the next few months – when professional ice hockey is really played again in Germany. Olympic silver medalist Müller, chairman of the newly founded SVE players’ association, is “more optimistic than it has been in months” because “more and more clubs are working to get the game going without fans.” Reindl, on the other hand, is skeptical: “It is impossible to make a forecast. We have to see that we survive. It’s an uphill battle. ”SID / nd
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