For coach Uwe Krupp from the Kölner Haien, the championship title in the German Ice Hockey League has a different significance this year than in the two previous years.
“I don’t want to downplay the performance of the teams that were in the finals recently. But it’s different when you have to play a best-of-seven. It’s just part of hockey that you have to win four games.” , Krupp said before the start of the playoff quarterfinals in the DEL.
From Tuesday (7:30 p.m. / MagentaSport), the Haie will play against the Adler Mannheim to progress. After the coronavirus pandemic, the current season is taking place again under normal conditions and with spectators in the halls.
For the first time since 2019, the German champions will be played in best-of-seven mode. In 2022 only three wins and in 2021 only two wins were necessary to win the series. In 2020, the season before the playoffs was canceled after the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Haie, who managed to qualify directly for the quarter-finals on the last day of the main round, are confident ahead of the series against the third-placed in the main round. “I go in with high expectations and I’m optimistic for the series against Mannheim,” said Krupp.