After the Olympic shock, disaster threatens
A brutal check for German ice hockey
By Tobias Nordman
2/15/2022, 7:03 p.m
That was nothing: Germany’s extremely ambitious ice hockey cracks experience a debacle at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Instead of wanting to play for gold, as announced, it’s over after the minimum number of games. This may have serious consequences.
This scene full of stupidity would not have been necessary, but from a German point of view it was (unfortunately) the right final point after a disastrous Olympic ice hockey tournament. David Wolf, the team’s aggressive leader, felled his Slovakian opponent with a vicious and hard blow to the head just before the end of the quarter-final qualifier on Tuesday morning. An expression of maximum despair, anger and disappointment. Even before the fight for the medals really starts, Germany is already out.
The big ambitions, up to the offensively communicated dream of the gold medal, eaten up in just four games. Eaten by a team of seasoned cracks and exciting talent. “You have to let the frustration about the way we presented ourselves sink in first,” confessed Patrick Hager, perhaps the best German player in the tournament. The professionals also felt the frustration about the brutal check for German ice hockey on social media. Apparently personal insults hailed there. “We are all disappointed because of the bitter defeat. We ask you to pay attention to the general rules regarding respect and tone in the comments,” tweeted the DEB after the defeat against Slovakia.
Slovakia had found the formula for success that the DEB team had been so desperate for in the Beijing days. And after the crashing and hopeless 0:4 on the failed way to the quarter-finals, it also becomes clear: The disappointing performances and results of the preliminary round did not deceive, but only unmistakably announced the pitiful failure. At the latest after the surprising victory against China’s bizarre selection, the alarm should have sounded loudly. But he didn’t. Even if the national coach drew consequences and reorganized his ranks on the ice. Apparently they had relied too much on the fact that the switch would flip at some point.
Where were the key players?
The team, which only failed last year after a rousing World Cup in the semi-finals, lacked physical speed, speed of action and physical passion in almost all thirds of the four games played. Hard checks, such as those received by the Germans against Canada or the USA, were not driven. Where were greed and biliousness on the legal limit? But there was also a lack of offensive options. In principle, there was a lack everywhere and of everything. Especially players with special qualities like Dominik Kahun (technical) or Tobias Rieder (running) were far from their best condition. The key players were not key players. Kahun was busy but ineffective. Rieder unremarkable except for the goal against Canada. Tom Kühnhackl, who twice won the Stanley Cup in the NHL, acted too cautiously, Korbinian Holzer wasn’t the defensive tower he should be. DEL top players such as Marcel Noebels, Leo Pföderl, Yasin Ehliz or Frederik Tiffels were not to be seen at all.
But how did this knock-out come about? In principle, everyone agrees that it wasn’t because of the quality of the squad. At the Germany Cup in November last year, this team was a lot of fun, showed a lot of enthusiasm and a very impressive defensive stability. So the Slovaks were played with about 4:1. A booster for dreams. Perhaps this is the reason for the knock-out. In the frenzy of euphoria that began with the Silver sensation four years ago in PyeongChang, this team may have felt called to greater things instead of focusing on what is the basis of success: hard work and passion on the ice. The Slovaks showed from the first second what that can (and must) look like.
Hardly any emotions in the DEB team
Germany didn’t have enough of that. Only in the last preliminary round game against the USA did the emotions run high in the DEB team. It doesn’t matter that they were a bit (too) rough in between, like Holzer, for example, who wanted to rip off an opponent’s head. That’s how ice hockey is. Nothing for tender souls. Germany felt poised for the knockout stage after their best (but by no means overwhelming) performance of the tournament. But then this: again the selection of national coach Toni Söderholm resulted without conveying the feeling of resisting this debacle. Or to be able to vote.
Sure, the best German players weren’t there. Superstar Leon Draisaitl and top talents like Moritz Seider or Tim Stützle are trapped in the NHL, the league didn’t take a break because of the pandemic (and the many canceled games). Of course, that’s not a good excuse and fortunately it wasn’t tried. Because all other nations also share this fate. On the other hand, the smaller ice surface was frequently cited as an approach to explaining the problems. It was adapted to the dimensions of the NHL. Advantage for the North Americans (who were trained on it), no question. But really the reason for the end? Rather questionable. Especially since they said themselves that after the preliminary round they understood how to play on the smaller area. Understood perhaps, but not implemented. It couldn’t be overlooked that Germany still didn’t have a good idea to adapt their offensive game, to pick up rhythm, to put pressure on their opponents. There was almost never any action, actually only reaction.
Was the German squad too old?
In the coming weeks, many questions, but not everything, will be questioned in German ice hockey. A search is being made for the sporting reasons, and perhaps the composition of the squad is also being considered. Discussions are already being held as to whether the contingent was possibly too old for all classes. Exciting talents like in the past major tournaments were missing this time. The college boys in the USA are proving just how much power and enthusiasm that can give a team.
How the answers turn out – unclear. Just like the future of the national coach. His contract expires in May after the World Cup in his old home country. The Finn, once a world-class defender, wanted to decide his future after the games. He’s flirting with the NHL. His record at DEB was excellent up until these games: at his first World Cup in 2019, after the best start since 1930, he led the team to the quarter-finals and even to the last four last spring. Germany rose to fifth place in the world rankings for the first time. What a development. Germany has arrived in the elite circle.
What does this tournament at Söderholm do now? For German ice hockey, his departure in early summer would be a bitter turning point. Possibly even a second catastrophe.