When the German ice hockey team received their silver medals at the World Championships at the end of May, Marc Michaelis was sitting at home in front of the television. Of course he would have liked to be there in Finland, but he was just happy that his career would continue. A good two months earlier he hadn’t been so sure about it. In February he felt pain in his right arm during a league game, which can happen in ice hockey, but this could have ended badly. His team doctor in Langnau, Switzerland, subsequently discovered a thrombosis in his shoulder.
The next day we had an operation, three times in total. Michaelis even had a rib removed from under his collarbone to prevent future thrombosis. But not everything went smoothly. Then he asked himself, “whether it still makes sense to play hockey because of the physical contact? Or do I put myself at risk every time?” he told “Blick” in the summer.
He doesn’t really want to talk about it anymore today. “I’m doing well. “Everything’s great,” he said at the weekend in Landshut, where everyone at the Germany Cup could see how well he was doing. Especially on Saturday against Austria, when he was named player of the game. After a slow start, it was Michaelis who equalized 0-2 and later prepared the final score of 5-3. Which is why the selection of the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) was able to win its annual four-nation tournament due to the better goal difference despite a 1:2 defeat against Slovakia on Sunday.
Praise for Michaelmas
Michaelis knows the feeling. He has won his entire hockey life. First with the Jungadler Mannheim, later in North America, where he won titles and prizes again. He even made it to the NHL. He now plays in Switzerland, since this season with the top team EV Zug. And is one of the best there too.
With 18 goals, he is one of the ten top scorers in the league. According to Michaelis, it’s one of the strongest leagues in the world: While in Germany it’s more about “ruining the opponent’s game”, in Switzerland there are “many teams that want the target and create chances themselves”. He now brought that to the national team.
“He has an overview and doesn’t throw the disc away somewhere,” praised his colleague Yasin Ehliz. National coach Harold Kreis also considers Michaelis to be a “very good ice hockey player,” with an emphasis on player. He would have liked to have seen him at the World Cup, but then the thrombosis occurred.
Things should be different at the next World Cup. So Michaelis came to Landshut, where the district usually tested young players. Because the selection in Germany is now so large that he could “set up two teams”. A lot of competition, so even someone like Michaelis wanted to play it safe and introduce himself to the national coach in person. “Everyone wants to prove themselves here. New coach, new system for me.” He wanted to “get a feel for what to expect in May.”
That should have been successful. And that could also be said about the tournament. The hall was sold out on Saturday. This is good for the DEB, also financially. Things are looking better than expected last year. In Krefeld there was still talk of a loss of millions for 2022, and 2023 doesn’t look so good either. Now it sounded different.
Small test run
“We have something in the account,” said DEB President Peter Merten, “millions, but not many.” Made possible by the World Cup silver, first came the bonus from the world association, then new sponsors. A successful application for the 2027 World Cup also helps. And once things are up and running, the DEB wants to create something new: the Women’s World Cup is also scheduled to take place in Germany in 2027.
So the Germany Cup was a little test run. There was also a women’s tournament there at the same time. A “huge idea,” praised world association vice-president Petr Bříza. More than 3,000 fans came to the DEB women’s final game against the Czech Republic alone. Although things didn’t go well, in the end it was 0:8 and the day before against Finland 1:8, but there was still applause. So captain Daria Gleißner hopes that this tournament will be a “door opener” and that there will finally be “recognition and visibility”. But also renewed proof that Europe’s top teams are two steps ahead in terms of “technique, speed, fitness and quality”.
Bernd Schwickerath, Landshut Published/Updated: Bernd Schwickerath Published/Updated: Bernd Schwickerath Published/Updated: Recommendations: 6
Things are different for men. Here, too, the world’s best, which should ideally meet at the Olympic Games in Milan in 2026, is still a bit away. But the World Cup silver didn’t come by chance. And who knows how things will go in 2024? Especially when Marc Michaelis is there again.
