Sandra Abstreiter shook her head. Of course, she hadn’t imagined it like that in the German team’s last game at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Canada. Until the placement round late on Friday evening, Abkampfer was statistically the best goalkeeper of the entire tournament. Even when they lost 3-0 in the quarterfinals against the overwhelming team from the United States, the number one in the German goal was outstanding, saved 49 shots and was subsequently named player of the match.
But now against Finland only a little wanted to work out. After conceding the seventh goal, Abkampfer was substituted, then sat frustrated on the bench and watched from there how the German team also got the eighth goal. In the end it was 2:8 – the tournament was over. “The disappointment was huge,” said striker Laura Kluge afterwards.
However, not without pointing out that the German ice hockey women had shown by jumping into the quarter-finals “that we are on the right direction”, they could “be very proud of our performance”.
That was less true for the men’s selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB). That was also in demand at the weekend. Although their World Cup is not until May in Finland, the team of the new national coach Harold Kreis met for the first time last week and tested twice against the Czech Republic. Results are actually of secondary importance, but the 2:6 in Kassel and the 1:5 in Frankfurt were a bit too little overall. Kreis then addressed relatively clear words to his team, which had missed a lot. Now that was to be expected in a way, the squad had been reorganized, some players hadn’t trained in a larger group for weeks after the end of their club season.
But the many puck losses and the resulting counterattacks and goals bothered Kreis: “Of course we didn’t like the result today either. I thought we had some good moves, but then gave the disc away too easily in the forward movement,” said the national coach on Saturday in Frankfurt, where the 5108 fans only had one reason to celebrate: scored five minutes before the end Dominik Bokk from the Löwen Frankfurt at least the consolation goal.
Bokk will also be there for sure when the DEB selection meets in Bavaria on Tuesday for the second phase of the World Cup preparations. The highlights are the friendlies against Austria, on Thursday in Deggendorf and on Saturday in Landshut. It should work there with the first sense of achievement under Kreis, who will make changes to the squad for this.
This is the case at every stage, depending on whose club season has ended in the meantime. In Bavaria, players like Cologne captain Moritz Müller and Dominik Kahun from SC Bern should now be added. And maybe even players from overseas like Nico Sturm of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Buffalo Sabers’ JJ Perterka could also join the DEB team in one of the next stages.
Insurance increased exorbitantly
Who still comes from the elite league is in the stars, as the play-offs only begin this Monday. Superstar Leon Draisaitl is in demand with the Edmonton Oilers and will miss the World Cup again. Other highly gifted players like Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators) and Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings) have already been eliminated, but have so far left their participation in the World Cup open.
And even if they are fit, want to and are approved by their clubs, there is still the issue of insurance. They are based on the residual value of their club contract and must be paid by the national associations. It’s always been like this, but lately insurance has risen exorbitantly. Sometimes six-digit sums are called for just one player.
The DEB will therefore have to think carefully about who is worth digging deep into their pockets for. The same goes for others like the Swedes, Finns or Czechs, who have significantly more NHL players with million-dollar contracts. If you play for the world championship title in May, it is not least because of the money.
