Once laughed at, now feared
Ice hockey exotic is suddenly waddling on the title path
March 16, 2024, 8:31 a.m
The Fischtown Pinguins go into the quarterfinals as first in the main round. the German Ice Hockey League. “North German serenity” remains the first duty of the village association. The surprising success also marks the end of an era after the season.
The “Cinderella Story” in German ice hockey? From a ridiculed exotic to a favorite for the title? The bosses of the Fischtown Pinguins won’t go along with that. “Almost no one in Bremerhaven does that, going crazy and talking about the championship,” claims managing director Hauke Hasselbring. The surprise team from the DEL goes into the quarterfinals as main round winners, but “North German composure” remains the first priority.
Of course, it’s “crazy for a small village club like us to end up at the top with a small budget,” admits Hasselbring, who was awarded a glass trophy at the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) award show at MagentaSport, admits. But take off and readjust your goals? No way.
Criticized as a “German maker”.
Even the statistics of the last ten years do not lure the architects of success on the Waterkant out of their reserve. Since 2014, when ERC Ingolstadt, Bremerhaven’s quarter-final opponents from Sunday (2 p.m.), sensationally stormed from ninth place to the title, the main round winner has always triumphed in the play-offs – with the exception of the shortened Corona season 2020/21 with two groups.
But the club, which only joined the DEL in 2016, was initially ridiculed because of its English name and later criticized as a “German-maker”, is no longer considered a blatant outsider. The most points, the best defense, the best power play, the longest winning streak of the season – Bremerhaven is the measure of all things. In front of DEL record champions Eisbären Berlin, defending champions Red Bull Munich and the highly ambitious Adler Mannheim, who have won all the titles since 2014.
The success is a product of continuity – and closely linked to two people: manager Alfred Prey, who has been active in Bremerhaven ice hockey for 35 years, and coach Thomas Popiesch. The 58-year-old, who has been with the Pinguins for eight years and is therefore the DEL head coach with the longest tenure, is rather the exception in the league. While elsewhere foreign head coaches usually work and get significantly less time, Popiesch has been able to continually build a team that does not correspond to the usual DEL model.
“It was all completely legal”
While 75 percent of import players across the league come from North America, Bremerhaven relies on Slovenians and Danes in key positions. The “Karawanken Express” with Jan Urbas, Ziga Jeglic, who lead the scorers list, and Miha Verlic have been the showpiece of the offense for years, and the defenders Phillip Bruggisser and Nicholas B. Jensen are among the best in their profession.
There are also naturalized players who sometimes caused criticism. “We were always accused of being the German makers,” says Prey, “but everything happened completely legally.” In the meantime, three players, goalkeeper Maximilian Franzreb and defenders Nicolas Appendino and Lukas Kälble, have made it into the extended circle of the national team.
According to DEL managing director Gernot Tripcke, the continuous development “with a manageable budget, over the years with the same protagonists at the helm who kept calm” has led to “this Cinderella story”. But now an era is ending: Prey is withdrawing from the front row, ex-national player Sebastian Furchner is taking over his duties. And Popiesch, twice coach of the year, is about to leave – reportedly to the second division club Krefeld Pinguine. “That’s not set in stone yet,” claims Hasselbring, “we’ll discuss it all in peace after the season.” Maybe with the DEL silver trophy in the showcase.