No ban imposed
DEB team can count on top player Seider against USA
May 26, 2023 at 9:29 p.m
Germany’s ice hockey team is greedy for the first World Cup medal in 70 years. In the semifinals against the USA, this could already be secured with a win. It is convenient that top player Moritz Seider is not banned after his tough gang check in the quarterfinals.
Germany’s national ice hockey team can rely on NHL defender Moritz Seider in the World Cup semifinals against the USA. World federation IIHF refrained from suspending the 22-year-old in the quarterfinals against Switzerland (3-1) the day before after the game misconduct penalty. “We all know exactly where we want to go and we don’t want it to end here,” said Seider after training in Tampere, Finland. With the world association’s decision, nothing stands in the way of his action against the USA on Saturday (5:20 p.m. / Sport1 and MagentaSport).
What happened? After a hard check of the rink in the game against Switzerland, Seider had to come off the ice halfway through the game, but the German national ice hockey team surpassed themselves and reached the World Cup semi-finals without their best player. For national coach Harold Kreis it was further proof of his team’s cohesion. “Something like that happens in hockey, Moritz was very upset himself,” said the head coach after the quarter-final victory. The team tries to carry this momentum into the semi-finals – and Seider can now also be available for that.
The German team meets the USA for the third time in the last three weeks. Germany lost the last test match before the World Cup on May 9th in Munich 3:6 and the third World Cup preliminary round game on May 15th 2:3. “We will be well prepared for them,” said Seider with regard to the renewed duel in a short time. “Of course there are more emotions now. You look forward to a big game like this even more than a group game.”
But even the victory in the quarterfinals is a huge success: The DEB selection won a World Cup quarterfinals against Switzerland for the third time after 2010 and 2021 and is fighting against the USA for their first World Cup medal in 70 years. With the victory against the Swiss, the German team has already secured participation in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan.