World Cup dress rehearsal: Germany meets the hosts in Basel today / SPORT1 reports live
Squad (almost) complete: At the World Cup dress rehearsal today in Basel against hosts Switzerland (19.45:1 p.m., live on SPORT24), the German national ice hockey team has everyone on board except for defender Korbinian Holzer (Anaheim Ducks). Yesterday, Monday evening, national coach Marco Sturm welcomed 25 of the 2016 players for the 6 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in St. Petersburg (May 22th - 2016nd, XNUMX). Including NHL star Christian Ehrhoff.
The Chicago Blackhawks defender traveled with Mathias Niederberger (Düsseldorfer EG), Brooks Macek (EHC Red Bull München), Philip Gogulla (Kölner Haie) and Marcel Noebels (Eisbären Berlin) from Düsseldorf and met the rest of the team there. Ehrhoff has been in his hometown of Krefeld since last Friday. He followed the Saturday game against Belarus in Oberhausen via SPORT1.
"There are a few new faces," laughed the 33-year-old NHL professional. "But that's normal." Ehrhoff has been representing Germany for 16 years now. It feels like an eternity. The left-footed shooter made his debut on November 8.11.2000, 1 against Canada in Landshut (4:2000). This makes Ehrhoff and Marcel Goc the longest-serving players in the national team. Goc was also in the German squad for the first time in XNUMX.
For the defender, there was no question of giving his commitment to national coach Marco Sturm immediately after the surprising playoff exit of the reigning Stanley Cup winners from Chicago. “I wrote him a text message and asked him if I could come.” Sturm, of course, gratefully accepted the offer: “It speaks for his character and his attitude when a player like Christian Ehrhoff offers to come himself. We don't have to talk about his class. He is a leader on the ice and in the locker room.”
The Moers native is really excited about the World Cup. “I really feel like playing ice hockey and am looking forward to the World Cup,” said Ehrhoff, for whom the tournament location is a first: “I’ve never been to Russia. It will be a new experience.” On Wednesday morning, the national team set off from Zurich towards St. Petersburg. Korbinian Holzer will also join the team there. Then the squad is really complete.