This season, the polar bears could not only win their third title in a row, but also their tenth championship in club history. This could be a very special moment, especially for a family duo.
That’s how last season went
After a squad change in the summer before last season, the polar bears needed a while to develop into a unit again. At the beginning of the season, especially in the home games, they received some severe beatings from the guest teams, for example a 1:4 against the later opponents in the final Munich or a 0:3 in the traditional duel against the Adler Mannheim. Added to that early exit in the Champions Hockey League preliminary round.
A polar bear season like a furious ice hockey match
At EHC Munich, the Berlin polar bears crowned a crazy season with their ninth championship on Wednesday. Now it’s time to celebrate with the fans. The season before was on the brink several times. By Shea Westhoffmore
After that, the Berliners slowly pulled themselves together and started chasing the top. Again and again, coach Serge Aubin had to struggle with corona and injury failures, which his team was able to compensate well for. On the 29th match day, she took the lead in the standings and didn’t give it up until the end. Even a quarantine of the entire team after the Olympic break and the tight schedule did not cause the polar bears to stumble anymore.
In the playoffs, the season was in the semifinals against the Adler Mannheim but still on the brink. After a 2-0 lead for Berlin, the Palatinate fought their way back into the series and forced the polar bears into a crucial fifth game. Goalie Mathias Niederberger shone there with an unbelievable 26 saves and secured his team an unchallenged 3-0 victory. The goalkeeper was then also a safe bet in the final series and, together with his team, ensured the title defense in the fourth game in Munich. It was the ninth German championship for the polar bears.
who went
This summer, numerous top performers have again said goodbye to the club. A total of twelve players have left the German champions since winning the title – including playoff hero Mathias Niederberger. Apparently, he had so impressed the final opponent Munich with his performance that the 29-year-old goalkeeper should keep the goal clean for the EHC in the future.
Defender Kai Wissmann, on the other hand, moved across the pond. Thanks to his fantastic development with the Berliners, the 25-year-old is taking the next step up the career ladder after eight years in the capital. With the Boston Bruins, he wants to earn a place on the NHL team.
Dane Frans Nielsen also wants to try his luck in America – but without a racket. After the World Cup in May, he ended his active career and joined the Seattle Kraken coaching team, who want to use the 38-year-old primarily to promote talent.
Also left the club: Leon Hungerecker (Nuremberg), Mark Zengerle (Straubing), Sebastian Streu (Iserlohn), Nicolas B. Jensen (Bremerhaven), Paul Reiner (Frankfurt), Dominik Bokk (Frankfurt), Blaine Byron (Oskarshamn), Johan Sodergran (Ornskoldsvik) and Simon Despres (Villach).
who came
In addition to the many departures, the polar bears also have numerous newcomers. With the striker Frank Mauer from Munich and the experienced national defender Marco Nowak from Düsseldorf, the Berliners have secured real DEL celebrities. And the German champions have also struck in the North American Hockey League (NHL). The 24-year-old Canadian Brendan Guhle has already played 65 NHL games for the Anaheim Ducks and the Bufallo Sabers and is set to replace Kai Wissmann, who has moved to Boston.
The eternal polar bear on the way to the ninth title
Frank Hördler has been playing for the Berliner Eisbären for almost 20 years and has actively witnessed each of their eight championship titles. His career is slowly coming to an end, but his offspring could stay with the club longer.more
There will also be a family reunion in the Eisbären squad this season. After a successful time in the German youth league, 18-year-old Eric Hördler is now also part of the DEL squad for the Berliners. And his last name is definitely not unknown among fans. Papa Frank Hördler has been wearing the Eisbären jersey for almost 19 years and will probably be on the ice with his son for the first time this season. “As a father, your heart melts when you look after and follow your child all their life and see what they put into the sport. When they are rewarded for it in the end and get a professional contract, that’s of course a great thing.” , says the 37-year-old.
Other newcomers: Julian Melchiori (Wolfsburg), Jan Nijenhuis (Wolfsburg), Nikita Quapp (Krefeld), Marcel Barinka (Cologne), Maximilian Heim (Mannheim), Juho Markkanen (Lappeenranta) and Peter Regin (Ambrì).
The trainer
In his fourth season in the capital, head coach Sege Aubin wants to continue his success story with the polar bears. Since May 2019, he has been managing the Berliners together with his friend and sports director Stéphane Richer, and in their first year they were among the top four in the DEL. In the second and third season, the Canadian then coached his team to the championship.
And he’s far from satisfied. In his fourth year, the hat-trick for the title should be completed and Aubin is convinced of his team: “I have to say that the boys came back in great form. That shows me that they are still hungry.” Now you just have to “rebuild the machine so that we go out on the ice and think as one unit,” the Canadian coach continued.
The expectations
“I believe that we have done a very good job in sport in recent years. We have strengthened the squad very well and have therefore become champions for the last two years, perhaps a bit lucky in the Corona season,” analyzes the managing director Thomas Bothstede the development of the polar bears, which should be continued in the coming season. The goal of the Berliners can only be winning the title this season.
Although the performance in preparation was rather disappointing, the test match results should not be particularly meaningful for the course of the season. As always, it will probably end in a three-way battle for the title in the DEL. In addition to the Berliners, EHC Munich and Adler Mannheim also have a chance of winning the championship.
The eternal polar bear Frank Hördler also wants to win the tenth title with his heart club. “We always want to play to win and win. That’s our aim here in Berlin,” says the 37-year-old. For Hördler, however, the championship would mean much more than just winning. “What should I say if I should do it together with my son? That would be a crazy thing,” he says.
Broadcast: rbb24, August 30, 2022, 6 p.m
