National team: Marcel Goc’s comeback – Brandt about to make his debut

Former NHL player in the Czech Republic for the first time / Sturm names 23-man squad

Comeback after a three-year absence: At the start of preparation for the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in St. Petersburg (May 6th - 22nd, 2016), national coach Marco Sturm welcomed former NHL star Marcel Goc from the Adler Mannheim named to his 23-man squad. The striker was last in the squad at the 2013 World Cup in Finland. Sturm also appointed Marcel Brandt from the Düsseldorfer EG a debutant in the national team squad. As part of the Euro Hockey Challenge, the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) on Wednesday, April 6th (18 p.m.) and on Friday, April 8th (18 p.m.) in Usti nad Labem (Aussig) twice against hosts the Czech Republic.

Sturm has nominated two goalkeepers, eight defenders and 13 strikers for the first two duels with the six-time world champion and 1998 Olympic champion. The Adler Mannheim currently represent the largest contingent of players with a total of eight appointments.

“I'm happy that it's finally starting. For the players who missed the playoffs with their clubs or were recently eliminated, the first preparation phase is particularly important in order to get back into the training and game rhythm after a long break,” said Sturm, whose team on Monday, April 4th , will meet for the first time in the Elbstadt.

After a three-year break, striker Marcel Goc is returning to the national team. The 699-time former NHL player took part in seven World Championships, the World Cup of Hockey and two Olympic Games for Germany in his career and led the German selection to fourth place as captain at the successful home World Cup in 2010.

For Goc, who was only able to play six games in the current DEL season due to a serious injury, the upcoming preparation games will be a completely new experience: “I have already taken part in many tournaments with the national team, but I am always just before the start of the tournament later joined from North America. Because of my injury, I wasn't able to play much, so I'm even more pleased that I can now be on the ice again without any problems for my first preparation."

For the duration of the Euro Hockey Challenge and the subsequent World Cup, Sturm will have to rely on the injured goalkeeper Dennis Endras (Adler Mannheim) and defender Frank Hördler (Eisbären Berlin) and striker Thomas Oppenheimer (Hamburg freezers). Sturm expects further reinforcement from the eliminated playoff participants in phase two of preparation: “One or two players are still injured. It is therefore better if the boys fully regenerate first and then come to us fit at a later date.”

The national team will make its first appearance in front of its home crowd on Saturday, April 16th in Rosenheim (15.30:17 p.m.) and Sunday, April 16.45th in Landshut (XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.) against Sweden, third in the world rankings. Tickets for both games are available below www.deb-online.de,  by telephone on 01806 99 22 01 (0,20 €/call incl. VAT from the German landline, max. 0,60 euros/call incl. VAT from the German mobile network) and in all Eventim ticket offices.

Managerial staff