After the home defeat against Iserlohn, the DEL bottom team reacted to the sporting crisis and replaced the coach. Promotion coach Niklas Sundblad and sports director Matthias Ross have to go.
The promotion euphoria for the Dresden Ice Lions has long since disappeared. After 20 defeats in 23 games in the DEL, the club has now pulled the ripcord. Promotion hero and coach Niklas Sundblad has to go. And sports director Matthias Roos was also released one day after the 6-1 home defeat against Iserlohn. Roos will continue to support the Dresden location in administrative tasks for the time being, the association said. At the weekend, the previous assistant coach Petteri Kilpivaara will act as head coach.
“There is no question that the most recent successes in the club’s history are based on the work of Niklas Sundblad and Matthias Roos. Despite all the emotions, we cannot live in the past. (…) The result, but above all the team’s performance in yesterday’s game against our immediate rivals in the relegation battle, ultimately clearly showed and underlined that we have to act. This step is undoubtedly not easy for us personally, but there is no alternative,” said managing director Maik Walsdorf in a press release quoted.
Last bloodless appearance against Iserlohn
The Eislöwen noticed early on that a different wind was blowing in the DEL than in the second league. Only three wins were achieved. Nevertheless, people trusted the promotion coach. That 1:6 on Wednesday (November 26, 20025) against the Tavbellen penultimate team from Iserlohn then caused a rethink in the Eislöwen’s executive suite.
The 52-year-old Sundblad has been the head coach of the Dresden Eislöwen since January 2024 led the team into the DEL this year. After a successful experience on the third match day, the Saxons lost twelve games. The horror series ended at the beginning of November. However, the 4:3 win after extra time against the Schwenninger Wild Wings did not provide the hoped-for upswing. The gap to the important 13th place is currently five points. Sundblad still had a contract until 2027 and therefore remains on the Ice Lions’ payroll.
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