The national team is still an important topic for NHL professional Philipp Grubauer.
“We’re planning to get into the playoffs, but if we don’t make it, then the national team is my priority,” said the 30-year-old Rosenheimer from the Seattle Kraken of the German Press Agency. “The focus is on the playoffs, but maybe the World Cup is also in the back of our minds. But we’ll talk about that again in March or April,” said the goalkeeper.
Grubauer is the best German ice hockey goalkeeper and was back on the ice for the first time after a three-year break for the German Ice Hockey Federation at the World Cup last summer.
In the NHL, the playoffs overlap with the world championships, only players whose teams do not qualify or are eliminated early have a chance of playing for their national teams. In addition, at the last two Olympic Winter Games, the NHL professionals were not exempt.
In 2018, the National Hockey League refused, and in Beijing the many games that had to be made up due to Corona dashed all hopes.
As a newly formed team, the Seattle Kraken missed out on making the playoffs last season. The upcoming World Cup is in Finland and Latvia in May.