Franz Reindl will also be there from November 6th to 8th at the Curt Frenzel Stadium when Marco Sturm celebrates his debut as the new national coach. In the following interview he speaks DEB-President about the Deutschland Cup and German ice hockey in general.
After many years Deutschland Cup in Munich now Augsburg with the Curt Frenzel Stadium as the new location. What do you expect from... DEB from this new location?
I am sure that in Augsburg we will repeat the success story of the previous one in Munich Deutschland Cup be able to continue writing. Augsburg not only has an enthusiastic and knowledgeable ice hockey audience beyond the city limits, but also offers the perfect infrastructure for this internationally renowned tournament with the modern Curt Frenzel Stadium. The Panthers and the AEV have been rooted in the sport of ice hockey for many years and have a wealth of experience. All of these points offer the best conditions for both spectators and the four teams.
Not only is the venue new, but also the national coach in the person of Marco Sturm. For him it is the first test. What expectations do you have of Marco Sturm as national coach?
Marco Sturm has already generated a lot of positive feedback in the first few weeks since he took office through his public appearances and conversations with those responsible and players. His name enjoys a high reputation internationally. As national coach and general manager, he wants to bring new impetus to the national team. The Deutschland Cup in Augsburg is intended to be a prelude to what will hopefully be a successful future for the national team. The most important goals are the 2016 Olympic qualification and the 2017 home World Cup.
Switzerland, Slovakia and the USA are teams that unfortunately cannot all compete with their best players, as Switzerland and Slovakia are missing NHL players. The USA team consists exclusively of players working in Europe. What significance do the encounters have?
All teams have to do without their North American Legionnaires. That has always been the case in recent years. But even without NHL involvement, we have experienced exciting and emotional games in the past. The Deutschland Cup is extremely important because, on the one hand, it will be the only home tournament in front of our own audience, and on the other hand, the best players active in Europe will be on the ice for all teams. Every actor uses it Deutschland Cupto recommend yourself to the coach for further tournaments such as the World Cup. The Deutschland Cup is now a fixed date in the international calendar.
Is the president of the DEB Glad that the turbulence in German ice hockey has subsided and that things have settled down?
The word turbulence is a bit too much for me and doesn't quite match my impression. Of course there have been points of friction in the past, but these are long gone. With the “POWERPLAY 26” agenda, we are taking a long-term approach. The cooperation with the professional leagues DEL, DEL2 and the regional associations not only works on paper, but is actively practiced by all sides. There has been a rethink in German ice hockey and that makes me look positively into the future. Even though we all have a lot of work to do.
Are around the Deutschland Cup Any special events planned?
The Fans in the Deutschland Cup Of course, you don't have to do without the usual service. The supporting program with autograph sessions and Fanparties. There will also be many stands from our partners in the hall where you can pass the time, especially between games. In addition, it will be on Sunday for the Fans give the opportunity with us, the DEB-Presidium to enter into dialogue in a manageable group. Then they both have Fans as well as we have the opportunity to address and discuss certain topics