Association confirms separation
German national ice hockey coach has to go
Updated June 5, 2026 – 1:10 p.mReading time: 1 min.
First the disappointment at the Olympic Games, then the early exit at the World Cup: The German national ice hockey team had a bad year. Now consequences follow.
Harold Kreis is no longer the national ice hockey coach. The 67-year-old and the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) have separated amicably. The association confirmed this on Friday afternoon. “Bild” had previously reported on the separation.
Kreis would actually have had a contract until 2027 and was supposed to lead Germany through the home World Cup next year. But the disappointing performances at the Olympic Games in February and at this year’s World Cup have now resulted in an early separation.
DEB sports director speaks of “intensive analysis”
The separation comes as a surprise to others. Kreis was already criticized before the World Cup in May because he didn’t get enough out of the talented squad at the Olympic Games. Missing the World Cup quarter-finals three months later made the situation worse.
Christian Künast, DEB’s sports director, explained the separation. “We came to this decision after an intensive analysis and presented our results to the DEB supervisory board, which shared our opinion,” he is quoted in the statement. Next year the home World Cup will take place in Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Schalke.