It used to be a simple matter for managers in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL), a position as strategically important as that of goalkeeper was filled with an experienced foreign professional without any discussion. Which posed adventurous problems for the national team because there were few goalies with sufficient match practice at a high level: 20 years ago, for example at the home World Cup, the then national coach Hans Zach had no other choice than two substitutes, Christian Künast and Robert Müller. To appoint goalies from the DEL, there was not a single German goalkeeper in the league. “And unfortunately nothing will change that quickly,” grumbled Zach at the time.
Not that fast, but slowly it is. Two generations of players later, the situation looks very different in the league: German goalkeepers are in the majority and not only that: In the six best teams in the table, a German player is the first man in goal after the first quarter of the main round. When it comes to the values on the ice, German goalies are ahead – from goals conceded, catch rate to games without conceding a goal.
The turnaround has long since taken place, which of course suits Toni Söderholm. The national coach told the “Tagesspiegel”: “It is definitely a very positive statistic for the German goalies.” The development is still going on. “It is important that we develop a lot in this position now. Above all, so that we have strong goalkeepers in the years to come. ”At the moment it is the case that the national team is“ well filled in this position at international level ”. Söderholm also has in mind that Philipp Grubauer is his best goalkeeper in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A successor for Grubauer, internationally undisputed one of the best in his field, is not yet in sight. “We have to work for the future every day,” says Söderholm. “Such a statistic can be read very positively and it should motivate every goalie further.”
“The quality of the German goalkeepers has improved”
Mathias Niederberger from Eisbären Berlin, second in the table, is currently one of the top three goalkeepers in the DEL with Felix Brückmann (Mannheim) and Dustin Strahlmeier from Wolfsburg. For the national goalkeeper, the new condition is the result of a good development. “The quality of the German goalkeepers has improved, and there was a focus on this during training,” he says. This is also strategically good for the clubs: “If you have a good German goalkeeper, you can better prove a foreigner’s license.”
Even the position of reserve keeper was occupied by five of the first six DEL teams with a German keeper. It is noticeable that the weaker teams in the league, on the other hand, rely more on experience from abroad in goal. “It’s a special position and everyone thinks differently,” says Niederberger.
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Another positive factor is that it is less attractive or possible for a German goalkeeper to play in one of the good European leagues, so they tend to stay at home. With Grubauer and Thomas Greiss there are two German goalkeepers in the NHL, but then not a single man who plays for another big club abroad, which is what some field players like Stefan Loibl, Tom Kühnhackl, Tobias Rieder (all in Sweden) or Dominik Kahun (Bern) meanwhile.
Some German goalkeepers are still missing the step to absolute world class – but the foundation has been built. And from today’s perspective, Mathias Niederberger finds the problems that a Hans Zach had in 2001 “strange”. It’s nice that the situation is now different, says the polar bear goalkeeper.
