National coach Toni Söderholm has left open a direct involvement of the World Cup successors Lukas Reichel and Leon Gawanke in the trend-setting fourth group game of the German national ice hockey team on Thursday against Denmark (3:20 p.m. / Sport1 and MagentaSport).
The chances are “Fifty-Fifty”, said Söderholm after the short warm-up in Helsinki in the morning. The Finn has to look “when they land and how they feel”.
Striker Reichel (20) and defender Gawanke (22) were approved on Wednesday after negative PCR tests to strengthen the selection of the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) in Helsinki.
The injured NHL youngster Tim Stützle, who hobbled from the ice to the dressing room after a check against his knee in the first third of Monday’s 3-2 win against outsiders France and did not return, was absent from training for the second day in a row on Wednesday on ice. “There is nothing new,” said Söderholm.
According to information from the Canadian broadcaster “TSN”, the striker is said to have suffered a strain in his knee. An exact diagnosis of Stützle’s injury has not yet been communicated by the DEB.
The DEB team has taken six points from the first three games. After the 5-3 defeat against the defending champion and record world champion Canada, the DEB selection won 2-1 against Slovakia, who took part in the Olympics, and fought their way 3-2 against outsiders France. Direct competitor Denmark also took six points from the first three games in Group A.