DYou have had a close relationship for years, perhaps a romantic relationship or at least a friendly one, and suddenly the other person stops contacting you. No call back, no message, nothing. Over, over. As if nothing had ever happened. 21st century Anglophiles have the term for this phenomenon Ghosting invented: When someone runs away like a ghost, just like that.
Now national coaches in the 21st century are expected to have a certain level of empathy. And Harold Kreis, 66, although a person of the 20th century, is valued everywhere as a trainer who masters the human nuances. Nevertheless, the national ice hockey coach recently faced his own ghost problem. Together with sports director Christian Künast, he spent a lot of time with “ghost lineups,” said Kreis, pondering which squad could be the best for the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina in February. “Our task was to define the distribution of roles and, from our point of view, to fill them in the best possible way.” But no matter how conscientiously Kreis and Künast played their mind games, in the end some people are left dumbfounded.
:The ice is too small
The Olympic ice hockey tournament is supposed to be the highlight of the Winter Games – even the professionals from the NHL will be there. But now everyone is nervous: the ice surface is too short.
Players like Olympic silver winner Yasin Ehliz or Leo Pföderl, DEL striker of the year 2025, for example. People who have been part of the team for almost ten years and who Kreis had to inform that this time they are not part of the squad that the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) is proposing to the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) for nomination on January 20th. After all: Kreis didn’t ghost his players, he delivered the message to them personally. Those whose hopes were shattered when the national coach called took the news professionally, Kreis said on Wednesday when presenting his selection: “They are all good guys and they know that the national team at the Olympics looks different than at other tournaments.” Nevertheless, these conversations are naturally “less pleasant”.
The fact that the selection process was so “complex,” as Künast said, is fundamentally a welcome reason. For the first time since 2014, the North American National Hockey League (NHL) is allowing its employees to take part in the Olympic tournament. Which is why the best players who are currently chasing a puck will gather in Milan – with the exception of the Russians who are still banned. Many are even talking about the best tournament in history, or at least the best German squad that will ever go to the Olympics. Nine players who earn their money with NHL clubs or their farm teams are on Kreis’ roster, more than ever before.
“This is really a perfect opportunity to test where we stand,” says national striker Nico Sturm
The most prominent among them is Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers) from Cologne, top scorer and top scorer in the US NHL league. But goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer (Seattle), defender Moritz Seider (Detroit) and strikers Tim Stützle (Ottawa) and JJ Peterka (Utah) also belong to the extended world class. There are also experienced players from the German Ice Hockey League such as long-time captain Moritz Müller, 39. “This is really a perfect opportunity to test where we stand when all teams have all players available,” said national player Nico Sturm in a media round on Tuesday. The striker from the Minnesota Wild, runner-up in the 2023 World Cup with the DEB team, pointed out, however, that the other nations such as Canada, Sweden, Finland or world champions and group opponents USA will also appear significantly revamped. It will be all the more important to find each other quickly.
That’s what Harold Kreis doesn’t think about the least. “Getting team spirit on the ice won’t be a problem,” said the national coach. As if to prove this, Stützle, who is currently the second best German goalscorer in the NHL behind Draisaitl (21) with 19 goals this season, is modest: “Leon is an extraordinary player. It will be cool for everyone to play on a team with someone like him,” said the 23-year-old Sports picture. At the last World Cup, Stützle seemed overwhelmed by his self-imposed leadership role. Now he believes: “Everyone will learn from Leon.”
For the two-time Stanley Cup winner Nico Sturm, it is a matter of course that he accepts the role given by the national coach. Even if that probably means playing in the back row for him, where it’s less about scoring goals than preventing them. “I wouldn’t have a problem playing in the fourth row. If everyone is there, I wouldn’t mind,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s a unique thing to be able to take part in a tournament like this. Whatever is asked of me, I will play.” It is precisely this team spirit that Kreis means, or as they used to say: team spirit.
