The German national ice hockey team caught a difficult opening program at the World Cup in Switzerland (May 15th to 31st).
In Group A in Zurich, the team of national coach Harold Kreis first meets Beijing Olympic champion Finland, Latvia, Vice World Champion Switzerland and defending champion USA, followed by games against Hungary, Austria and promoted Great Britain.
Deb team at the start of the World Cup against Finland
The tournament is opened with the German game against the Finns and the simultaneous game of the Record Champion Canada against Sweden (both 16.20 p.m.). In the evening (8:20 p.m.), the new edition of the Stockholm World Cup final follows with the duel of the USA with the host. Germany’s group final against the British will take place on May 25 (8:20 p.m.).
First Olympics in Italy, then the World Cup in Switzerland
As usual, two aft groups are played, in which the four best teams qualify for the quarter -finals (May 28th). The preliminary round rises on May 30th, the final a day later. The Olympic Winter Games are pending three months earlier.
At this year’s World Cup, the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) had failed for the first time since 2018 in the preliminary round. In 2027, Germany is hosting the tournament with the cities of Düsseldorf and Mannheim.