Silver for awesome DEB team
This is how a national team should play
By Tobias Nordman
05/29/2023, 08:50 am
The golden sensation in the final of the World Cup is missing. But even with the silver medal in their luggage, the German ice hockey cracks can start their journey home from the World Cup with their heads held high. The team brings a lot to have a great future.
In the last 20 minutes of this Ice Hockey World Championship, the German national team reached their limits. Against the ripped off Canadians, the dream of the historic gold medal was shattered. The first in the history of German ice hockey. Tears flowed after this once-in-a-lifetime game, which was already a sensation. No one had believed this German team to reach the final.
Silver is not a consolation prize, but the reward for a great journey that began with a hail of cancellations before the tournament and three losses at the start. Which then led to six wins and 40 outstanding minutes in the final. Only then did the merciless efficiency of the North Americans prevail. With this success, the Canadian NHL stars secured the world title for the 28th time and are now again the sole record champion ahead of the currently excluded Russians.
A remarkable journey
The disappointment was great, because a final is still more of a small miracle for Germany. But more and more a scenario that the national team can deal with. What Marco Sturm and Toni Söderholm had started in recent years was now completed by national coach Harold Kreis with the first World Cup medal since 1953. At that time, however, only four nations had played in a group phase. And this triumphant march through the tournament, which began with three narrow defeats, still leaves room for improvement, room for gold. Yes, the Russians were absent again, a team that always claims the title. But this path, which Germany has been taking for years, it is moving forward, rarely backwards. Success is no longer a coincidence. With their performances, the selection also made the qualification for the 2026 Olympics in Milan perfect and exceeded the requirements of the association.
And yet the 2023 tournament trip is a particularly remarkable one. Because Germany first had to collect itself after the surprising departure of successful coach Söderholm, because his successor Kreis was a World Cup debutant, because the team had to cope with so many top-class cancellations, because it was the three narrow bankruptcies despite great performances at the start against the top -Nations Sweden, Finland and USA gave. Because heroes were born in this tournament that nobody had imagined before. For example, the series of fighters around Wojciech Stachowiak, Parker Tuomie and Justin Schütz. And because players like John-Jason Peterka or Daniel Fischbuch used little reminders to decisively bring their qualities back onto the ice after turbulent moments.
And the potential is even greater: there are players in the DEL, the NHL, Switzerland and Sweden who can give this team even more quality. In Germany there is a large selection, bigger than it has been for a long time. Perhaps never before in this breadth. Good work in the youth as a basis.
Outstanding team spirit
This national team had so much excitement at the World Cup. Above all, an outstanding team spirit. Everyone fought for everyone. Everyone fought for the big dream. Nobody spared themselves and their bodies. In the semi-final against the USA, the players threw themselves into the brutal barrage of shots from the US boys, successfully. At no time did a player put their ego ahead of the team’s success. A clear hierarchy is responsible for this. At the top NHL super talent Moritz Seider and NHL professional Nico Sturm. Not only did they lead the way on the ice, but they also addressed the painful things off the ice. They didn’t shy away from criticism and didn’t skimp on praise.
For example, anyone who is wondering what the German footballers have been missing for years has received plenty of object lessons from this team. Success is based on the passion for hard work, on the mentality of never giving up, on making smart decisions even under pressure. Not always wanting to shine, but also trying to force things. And so this team played in a smoke, bringing more and more fun and a high level of play to the ice. She was inspired by the energy and greed to achieve great things. Nobody complained about the cancellations or failures of supposed key players, everyone took their chance – and used it. Silver isn’t a comfort, it’s a reward.