interview
Marco Sturm took part in the Olympic Games three times as a player and in 2018, as national coach, he achieved the greatest success in German ice hockey history with silver. In the Sportschau interview, Sturm talks about Olympic memories, emotions and his expectations of the German team at the 2026 Olympics in Milan.
Sports show: When you think of the Winter Olympics, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Marco Sturm: The silver medal in 2018. You even forget about your participation as a player or the hours in front of the television when you watched the Olympic Games as a small child. If you’re there and win a medal, there’s nothing better.
Sports show: How often do you still get asked about that silver medal eight years ago?
Storm: This happens all the time, especially when there are Olympic Games, like now. These are simply beautiful memories, if not the best memories I have ever had as an athlete and coach.
Marco Sturm is coaching the German national ice hockey team at the 2018 Olympics
Sports show: What was the goal in Pyeongchang in 2018? It was a tournament in which the NHL players were not there.
Storm: We had no goal. Our goal was simply to play well, have fun and enjoy everything that goes along with it. But then you noticed early on that the games were close, the superstars weren’t there, and so it somehow developed from game to game so that it became more and more. For me, the game against Switzerland, which we narrowly won (2-1 win after the first knockout round game/editor’s note) was the sticking point. We knew then, oops, there might be a small chance.
Sports show: So it kind of became a no-brainer and you as a coach didn’t have to say much anymore?
Storm (laughs): That would be nice. No, it was just a great team effort. Even after the win against Switzerland, there were still a few games to be played. But you just noticed that there was an upswing, a euphoria – not just on the ice, but also off it. That’s when the real fun began for us, and you could see it on the ice.
Sports show: Germany defeated reigning world champions Sweden in the quarterfinals and defending champion Canada in the semifinals. In the final against Russia, gold was only 56 seconds away. How long were you sad back then that you didn’t win the Olympics?
Storm: The way the game ended was disappointing and still is disappointing. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. When you’re so close to winning gold, probably once in your life, then of course it’s very, very bitter. But that’s sport. In the end, of course, we are all happy. You have to keep reminding yourself that we went home with a silver medal.
Sports show: The NHL professionals will be back in Milan for the first time since 2014, meaning Leon Draisaitl will also be playing at the Olympics for the first time. What’s in it for Germany?
Storm: You shouldn’t forget that the other nations also have their superstars with them. But I think the German team is very well positioned. The preliminary round can be mastered well (Germany plays against Denmark, Latvia and the USA/editor’s note). And then of course it depends on whether you can improve from game to game.
Sports show: Germany will compete with seven NHL professionals. These include a superstar in Leon Draisaitl and professionals in Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider who see their clubs as indispensable top performers. We are talking about the most talented German ice hockey generation, but they have never played together in the national team. What does this mean for German ice hockey in general, especially since the games take place during prime German TV broadcast time?
Storm: This is outstanding for German ice hockey. Winter Games are simply the biggest stage there is. The NHL is followed in Germany, but more via the Internet and never really on television. And now people simply have the opportunity to see the German NHL players all on the ice together. This is an opportunity that happens very rarely. And that’s why I think it’s great for our country, for our ice hockey fans, to just see Stützle, Draisaitl and Seider together. Personally, I’m also happy to sit in front of the TV and enjoy the games with these guys that I know personally.
Sports show: But why are you sitting in front of the television and not part of national coach Harold Kreis’ staff? You are the most successful German national coach. As the current coach of the Boston Bruins, you know the NHL very well – and Christian Künast, your brother-in-law, is on the board of the German Ice Hockey Association.
Storm (laughs): I think Harry is doing a good job. And I also think that right now is not the right time. But of course I hope that there might be the opportunity again in the future for me to be part of the team.
Sports show: How great is the danger that the NHL players will destroy the hierarchy of the national team that has grown over the years and that established players will hide behind the stars like Draisaitl or Stützle?
Storm: The danger is low. Everyone knows that Draisaitl or Stützle are better. That’s just the way it is, and that’s why these guys will get the most ice time, there’s no disagreement. And it’s also part of a coaching job to manage it in such a way, when you have superstars, that the others still do their part. Everyone belongs there.
Sports show: You attended the Winter Games for the first time in Nagano in 1998. That was the Olympic premiere for NHL professionals. As a player for the San Jose Sharks at the time, you were already used to competing against the superstars. What was it like for you to see Wayne Gretzky on the Olympic ice?
Storm: That was outstanding. As a player, Nagano was the best Olympic Games for me. Everything was new, I was young, we had fun and then the games against the big guys. But it was also something very, very special to play together with Uwe Krupp or Olaf Kölzig. We also had a lot of fun as a team.
Sports show: You were there as an active participant for the last time in Vancouver 2010. The ice hockey tournament was the absolute focus of these games, with the duel between Canada and the USA providing the desired dream finale. As a professional, how did you experience the games in the ice hockey motherland?
Storm: For me it wasn’t actually an Olympics, but more of an ice hockey tournament. The city was all about ice hockey. Sure, the motherland of ice hockey and then a final between Canada and the USA – it couldn’t be better. But for me it had no Olympic flair. That’s generally not a shame, but when the games are somewhere else, they have a different feel.
