Last test before the Olympics
DEB team wins dress rehearsal – wild brawl shortly before the end
Updated February 4, 2026 – 10:10 p.mReading time: 7 minutes
The dress rehearsal against the hosts is initially tailor-made for the DEB team. But then the game takes a different course. Shortly before the end, emotions run high.
Without the NHL cracks around standard bearer Leon Draisaitl, the German ice hockey team barely beat hosts Italy at the Olympic dress rehearsal in Bolzano. National coach Harold Kreis’ selection won the only test for the Winter Games 4:3 (2:0, 1:2, 1:1) after a good start. On Thursday, the entourage of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) will travel to Milan, and the majority of the players from North America are scheduled to arrive in the Olympic Village on Saturday.
In addition to superstar Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), who flies earlier and will be the first German ice hockey player to carry the flag at an Olympic opening ceremony on Friday evening, Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken), Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators), John-Jason Peterka (Utah Mammoth), Nico Sturm (Minnesota Wild) and Draisaitl’s teammate Joshua Samanski were also not available against the Italians available.
Tobias Rieder scored in the majority to take the lead (12th) for the DEB team, which was filled with numerous players from the German Ice Hockey League (DEL). Kai Wissmann, who recently made his comeback for the Eisbären Berlin after tearing his Achilles tendon just 25 days before the start of the Olympics, increased (13th).
Fabio Wagner made it 3-0 (25th) for the 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a little later Dustin Gazley overcame Maximilian Franzreb in the German goal and shortened the score (30th). Shorthanded, the DEB team conceded the next goal shortly before the second break from Tommy Purdeller (40th), and in the middle of the final third Yasin Ehliz made it 4:2 in the power play (49th). It was only shortly before the final siren that Alessandro Segafredo made the final score (60′).
The German team will face Denmark at the start in Milan on February 12th (9:10 p.m.), other opponents in Group C are Latvia (February 14th, 12:10 p.m.) and the USA (February 15th, 9:10 p.m.). The three group winners and the best runner-up qualify directly for the quarter-finals. The remaining teams play in a qualifying round for the four open spots.
The game to read in the ticker:
Italy – Germany 3:4 (0:2, 2:1, 1:1)
60th minute of play – End in Bolzano. Germany deservedly won this final test before the start of the Olympic Games 4:3.
60th minute of play – Shortly before the final whistle, Italy shortened the score again: Segafredo made the result a little more bearable for the hosts.
58th minute of the game – After a lengthy consultation, it is clear: three German players will receive a small penalty: Kastner, Fischbuch and Tuomie have to go to the bench for two minutes, while Bradley gets it in Italy.
58th minute of the game – Shortly before the end, there was a wild brawl on the ice: several players from both teams clashed on the boards near the Italian bench. In the commotion, Italy’s Matthew Bradley and Germany’s Maxi Kastner exchanged punches, and Bradley lost his helmet in the process. Boos and whistles from the audience. The game is briefly interrupted, but tempers quickly calm down again.
