Balance of Ice Hockey World Cup: Deb team-“Kacke on the racket” and too little team spirit

The German national ice hockey team leaves the World Cup after the preliminary round and licks wounds. A NHL-Star complains about “shit on the racket”, the other takes a lot of guilt. But there was also a lack of team spirit.

Moritz Seider was only difficult to get up. He felt the “C” on his chest. “The first time to be the one who did not achieve it with the boys, weighs very hard”said the youngest German captain for more than 50 years after the preliminary round. “It is very bitter if you have to answer questions here if you have not got any further.”

The NHL Star had a hard time in its new role, felt “pretty empty” after the dramatic 1-2 after penalty shooting in the last group game against host Denmark. In any case, the most expensive German ice hockey player in history, especially in the focus, had also burdened the 24-year-old’s new task.

Seider remains far behind his own requirements

The ease of the silver coup from 2023, when Moritz Müller, which was 14 years older, had led the German team on the ice. With just one goal template and many unusual mistakes, Seider remained far behind his own standards at his fifth World Cup. He had “Had shot on the racket from the start”he confessed.

Stützle takes a lot of guilt

The second NHL star even took all the fault for failure. “If I don’t get it on the chain to score a goal at some point, you can’t win a game”, said Tim Stützle. The 23-year-old, the best German striker after superstar Leon Draisaitl, was flown to the third World Cup game after the playoff-out in the NHL, but did not hit once-and looked hyperactive.

“It is not easy to get there later”, he said “Nevertheless, I can play better ice hockey.”

First setback for national coaches Kreis

The two high -talented people from the NHL, arrived in the world class at a young age, failed in Herning that they wanted too much themselves. “We tried to moderate as well as possible that you cannot win the game alone, that you still have players”, said national coach Harold Kreis, who experienced the first difficult setback at his third World Cup.

Unconditional support was missing

On the other hand, many rolled responsibility on the stars, the unconditional support in recent years lacked. On the defensive, mainly because important supports such as Moritz Müller and the best DEL defender Kai Wissmann were injured.

On the offensive, because in addition to supporters, the other strikers also went away empty-handed: the Berlin Leo Pföderl, player of the year in the DEL and new playoff record goal scorer, scored just as little in the seven preliminary round games, just as the Cologne-based Justin Schütz, who had scored 57 goals in the past two DEL.

Weak offensive

“We haven’t had the offensive power of recent years”DEB sports director Christian Künast found. Apparently there was also a lack of internal relationship, which the Vice World Champions from 2023 had particularly awarded, although 14 of them were still on the ice – the incredible team spirit that had shaped a unit that was more than the sum of their parts.

The German team not only missed the World Cup quarter -finals for the first time since 2018 – also in Herning and ended up ninth in the end. She also had to look at how arch -rival Switzerland and even the little Austria passed.

Euphoria evaporated from the Olympics

The euphoria has gone almost nine months before the Olympic Games with all NHL stars. “It is”Kreis warned once again, “No self -run.” Individual class helps little if the team does not work.

So the day after, when the national players flew free places in all directions in all possible, especially the knowledge of Marcel Noebels, who had aptly determined after his return: “One or two works, and three watch.”