As the new coach of champions EHC Red Bull Munich, Toni Söderholm is not only aiming for a successful title defense in the German Ice Hockey League.
“You want to win games, whether in the DEL or in the Champions League. We want to present ourselves in Europe. If you’re good in Germany, you can also be good in Europe. We want to be a top club,” he said 45-year-old Finn from the “German Press Agency”.
Söderholm was signed on Monday to replace Don Jackson, who ended his successful coaching career.
“The next steps for the squad depend on what we want to achieve. We need a certain breadth. We have an experienced team, but you can never have too much experience. We will have a lot of games and we need manpower for that,” said the former national coach Söderholm.
EHC Red Bull Munich before squad change
When he took office, there were 20 players in the squad for the coming season. At least seven players leave the club. Among them are goalkeeper Danny aus den Birken and the two strikers Frederik Tiffels and Justin Schütz.
Söderholm had last worked at the traditional Swiss club SC Bern. In November last year he gave up his position as head coach when selecting the German Ice Hockey Federation in order to be able to work at his ex-club in Switzerland. Harold Kreis succeeded him as national coach.
In addition to Munich, ERC Ingolstadt and Adler Mannheim are starting the new season of the Champions Hockey League. In the 2018/19 season, the EHC took second place as the best German result in Europe.
“I hope that the club will continue to develop, that we present ourselves well in Europe. I hope that the players develop every day – and that the determination and thirst for success remain high,” said Söderholm.