Ice hockey national coach Harold Kreis will experiment at the Germany Cup. The coach of the German ice hockey team is only competing with four runners-up and is hoping for the next team.
Harold Kreis can’t wait. Almost half a year after the coup in Tampere, the ice hockey vice world champion appeared in front of his home audience in Landshut for the first time. “I still feel enthusiasm and great interest,” said the national coach.
The NHL stars and numerous runners-up will be at the Germany Cup from November 8th to 12th in Landshut miss. Coach Kreis, one of the main characters, is behind the gang at the vice world champion’s first home appearance.
Who is fit for the World Cup? Harold Kreis is looking for alternatives
The 64-year-old is using the German Ice Hockey Association’s traditional home tournament to test personnel for their suitability for the World Cup. This season, for the first time, Kreis has the opportunity to plan the World Cup in May 2024 in the Czech Republic several months in advance.
In March Harold Kreis took up the national coaching position. Despite numerous rejections, he led the DEB selection to World Cup silver just two months later, the best placement ever for a German national ice hockey team.
The result of success: awards and new desires outside of ice hockey. At the end of October, Kreis was presented as one of the main characters at the German Touring Car Championship at the Hockenheimring. “It’s particularly interesting for me to see how a motorsport team works and the precision with which they work in order to ultimately get a few hundredths out of it,” he explained.
Circle has a “good mix” together
For the Germany Cup, Kreis has now put together a mixture of four runners-up, talents and prominent returnees such as former NHL professionals Tobias Rieder (Växjö Lakers/Sweden) and Yasin Ehliz (EHC Red Bull Munich). “We noticed a great response in the conversations with the players and joy about the invitations,” explained the long-time national defender. “Overall, we have a promising mix in the squad for the Germany Cup 2023.”
Rieder, who was born in Landshut, and Ehliz, like Marc Michaelis (EV Zug/Switzerland) and Leonhard Pföderl (Eisbären Berlin), missed the World Cup due to injury and can prove themselves again.
Consideration for clubs in the Champions Hockey League
In the past, the national coaches were grateful for every conceivable alternative, but today Kreis can also do without North American stars such as Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, JJ Peterka or Moritz Seider as well as several rested top performers such as captain Moritz Müller (Kölner Haie) and Marcel Noebels (Eisbären Berlin). choose from “twelve defenders and seven to eight attack lines”. The basic base has become significantly larger. “It’s a very good starting position,” praised the coach.
The German-Canadian also took into consideration the clubs from Munich, Ingolstadt and Mannheim, who will be competing in the Champions Hockey League two days after the tournament.
Players with a lot of desire for it National team
World-class striker Draisaitl recently confirmed how keen the players are to join the national team. “I would be very happy if we all got together at some point and played for Germany,” said the Edmonton Oilers professional. “I agree with Leon’s opinion,” emphasized Kreis. “It would be a great story.” The dream is most likely at the 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Kreis will experiment at the Germany Cup. Nevertheless, the tournament is important because it is the only one before the start of preparations for the World Cup next year. This year’s success will be confirmed in Ostrava and Prague in May. “The World Cup is a thing of the past, in the next tournament we are starting from scratch,” explained Kreis, who will start with his team against Denmark on Thursday (7.45 p.m.). Then it’s against Austria (Saturday/6 p.m.) and Slovakia (Sunday/2:30 p.m.).
DEB women start the tournament on Wednesday
The women will start on Wednesday and will be taking part in the tournament for the first time and will thus receive more attention. National coach Jeff MacLeod’s DEB selection also starts against Denmark on Wednesday (7.45 p.m.). On Friday we play against Finland and a day later against the Czech Republic. “Everyone involved is really looking forward to the days together with the women’s team,” said Kreis.
Source: BR24Sport on the radio November 8th, 2023 – 6:55 p.m
