Ice hockey trust in the district: tricky start to the World Cup for the DEB selection
The national coach of the German national ice hockey team: Harold Kreis. photo
© Christian Kolbert/dpa
The German national ice hockey team will face three favorites right from the start. With the national coach, the runner-up world champion has the most important man behind the gang.
Nothing can unsettle Harold Kreis. The strong opening program at the Ice Hockey World Championship may make the national coach tingle. Slovakia, the Olympic bronze medalist, awaits on Friday (4:20 p.m./ProSieben and MagentaSport). This is followed by the tournament favorites USA and Sweden. There is no fear of a possible false start. “He transmits his calmness to everyone,” said DEB sports director Christian Künast. “I can’t imagine a better national coach at the moment.”
After the sensational silver coup last year, Kreis is also considered one of the most important factors in his second World Cup as national coach compared to the possibly better-placed competition. Like last year, the vice world champion is threatened with three defeats at the start against three top opponents in Ostrava. “It’s another new challenge,” said Kreis in an interview with the German Press Agency.
National coach like father figure
The 65-year-old is like a father figure for his national players. “It’s nice to have him on the bench,” said NHL star JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres. “He brings calm to the team so that we can play freely. We know that we don’t have to be afraid of making mistakes and that we can be confident in things.”
The 22-year-old met another trainer circle a year ago. At the World Cup in Tampere, he left the top talent on the bench for a full third of the 4-2 win against Austria because he had not previously brought his impact to the ice, the coach said. Twelve months later, Peterka was the first NHL professional to confirm his commitment to the current World Cup. “You know you can just play with him,” enthused the striker.
According to Peterka, Kreis managed to create a perfect mix between freedom, responsibility and seriousness. “Not too much and not too little,” explained Germany’s storm hope. National team colleague Frederik Tiffels also praised the coach’s “human side”: “It’s fun to work with him.”
After decades of coaching as a club coach in Germany and Switzerland, Kreis now enjoys his job as a national coach. He emphasized that he had a rather “minor role” in training. The practice sessions on the ice are usually led by his assistants Serge Aubin and Alexander Sulzer. “I’ll continue to do the cabin speeches and videos. We’ll divide the tasks,” said Kreis.
Assistants as important helpers
With Aubin and Sulzer, the coach didn’t bring in any assistants. Aubin just led the Eisbären Berlin to the German Ice Hockey League title. Sulzer will most likely be the new coach of runner-up Fischtown Pinguins. “If we can have the best people around us and benefit and learn from each other – why not?” asked Kreis.
In football, it would be unthinkable if national coach Julian Nagelsmann were to include Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and Bayern Munich’s Thomas Tuchel in his coaching team before the European Championships. But Kreis only sees the positive in this and thinks of the words of Apple founder Steve Jobs. “He once said: I don’t get the best people and tell them what to do. The best people tell me what to do,” explained Kreis. Success is only possible in a team.
That’s why the national coach is looking for one thing above all in the little free time during the World Cup: peace and quiet. “I’ll retire then,” he explained. “I’m more of an introvert. I read the newspaper. I don’t have the concentration to read a book.” Kreis is interested in politics, economics and world events. “Not necessarily for ice hockey,” said Kreis. “If so, then only results.”
dpa
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