Ice hockey national coach Marco Sturm has his assistants for the Deutschland Cup (6th - 8th November 2015, live on SPORT1) in Augsburg. Accordingly, the coaching duo Christof Kreutzer and Tobias Abstreiter (both Düsseldorfer EG) and Serge Aubin (head coach Hamburg Freezers) are part of the support team at the four-nation tournament.
“I am happy to have such competent experts at my side. Both Christof Kreutzer and Tobias Abstreiter in Düsseldorf as well as Serge Aubin in Hamburg are doing an excellent job and have brought a breath of fresh air with their teams in the DEL in the last few months,” said Sturm. While Kreutzer and Aubin will support the national coach as assistants on the boards, Abstreiter is planned as a video coach.
“During discussions with Christof Kreutzer, Serge Aubin and Tobias Abstreiter, it quickly became clear that we all share the same playing philosophy. We are also pursuing the goal of bringing German ice hockey forward again. I’m looking forward to a great collaboration with my coaching team,” said Sturm, who will announce the final squad later this week.
Christof Kreutzer (May 26, 1967 in Uerdingen) is the Düsseldorfer EG connected for over 40 years. He initially went through all youth teams and by the end of his active professional career in 1997 had played a total of 426 games in the Bundesliga (285) and the German Ice Hockey League (141). During this time, the former defender won five German championships with his home club (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996). Following his career, he became a successful youth coach, including with the DNL and then regional team Düsseldorfer EG. In the 2012/2013 season, Kreutzer was an assistant coach for the DEL club for the first time. For the 2014/15 season he finally took over the head coaching position at DEG and reached the DEL semi-finals in the first year under his direction.
Serge Aubin (February 15, 1975 in Val-d'Or/Canada) was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1994. During his active career, Aubin played a total of 396 games in the NHL for Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Trashers. In 2006, he moved to Europe and Switzerland, where he won the NLB championship with EHC Biel and won the Spengler Cup for Team Canada. In 2011, Aubin moved to the Hamburg Freezers. He had to end his active career there in January 2013 due to a thumb injury. The Freezers signed him as assistant coach alongside Benoit Laporte for the following season. Aubin took over the head coach position on the Elbe from September 2014. Last year he was already appointed to the coaching staff of Team Canada for the Deutschland Cup called.
Tobias Abstreiter (July 6, 1970 in Landshut) made 117 appearances for the German national ice hockey team as an active player and during this time took part in six world championships and the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In the DEL, Abstreiter played over 675 games. With Hedos Munich (1st BL) and the Kölner Haien (DEL) he became German champion. Other stages in his professional career were: EV Landshut, the Maddogs Munich, TSV Erding, the Kassel Huskies and the Straubing Tigers. After his playing days, Abstreiter served as head coach of the Landshut Cannibals and was previously a sports manager ERC Ingolstadt employed. He has been an assistant coach at the DEL club since the 2014/2015 season Düsseldorfer EG.