The German selection is playing the first of a total of eight preparatory games today / Endras: “It’s important that we find each other quickly as a team”
Four weeks, eight games, one system - then everything has to be right: With today's opening game as part of the Euro Hockey Challenge against Norway (19.00 p.m.) in the Olympic ice rink in Lillehammer, the hot phase of preparation begins for the German national ice hockey team the home World Cup (5th – 21st May 2017) in the LANXESS arena in Cologne.
"We have to use every day together to reach our performance level on time on May 5th," says national coach Marco Sturm, whose goal in the month-long preparation is to "improve step by step." A good mix of training doses is therefore important. The start will be made in Norway. Sturm: "In addition to the intensive sessions, the boys should also get the necessary regeneration time after a long season."
What is certain is that the squad will change a few times in the coming phases. Only in the last week of preparation with the two games against Latvia in Bietigheim (April 30.4) and Ravensburg (May 1.5) will the squad be almost complete. Then the players from the DEL finalists from Munich and Wolfsburg would also be available. The championship would end with game seven on April 21st at the latest.
We are also looking at North America and the NHL. Striker Tobias Rieder from the Arizona Coyotes no longer has any playoff chances with his team and would basically be available. Sturm always keeps an eye on the current situation of his World Cup candidates, but also points out that “you never know exactly what physical condition the players will be in after the season or the playoffs.”
After the Norway week, the national players only have around a day and a half off before Phase II begins next Tuesday. After a short training camp in Mannheim, the German entourage will fly to Belarus for two matches (April 14.4th and 15.4th). In Phase III, the national team will have its first home appearance in Nuremberg and Mannheim against the Czech Republic (April 22.4 and April 23.4).
“It is important that we find each other as a team as quickly as possible. It's not that easy, as new players keep coming and others have to leave. “It is therefore extremely important to step on the gas every day and to internalize the system set out by Marco Sturm as best as possible,” said keeper Dennis Endras from the Adler from Mannheim.
Especially in front of your own Fans would like to convince the German selection during the preparation and thus provide the best possible self-promotion for the very important World Cup tournament. “Of course we would like to win all the games, but in the games before the World Cup it is less about results and more about us behaving correctly tactically,” said defender Christian Ehrhoff. You can also learn from setbacks and work on improvements.
The two duels between the German national team and Norway today from 18:55 p.m. and on Saturday, April 8th, from 18:10 p.m. can be seen in the free live stream on SPORT1.de. The first game on Thursday will also be broadcast live on the pay-TV channel SPORT1+. SPORT1 will also broadcast the second game on Saturday live on free TV from 19:15 p.m. In addition, SPORT1 shows the other six World Cup preparation games DEB-Teams as part of the Euro Hockey Challenge all live on free TV.
All SPORT1 games of the national ice hockey team at a glance:
SPORT1.de Thu, April 06.04.2017, 18, 55:XNUMX p.m.: Norway – Germany, in Lillehammer/NOR
SPORT1+ Thu, April 06.04.2017, 18, 55:XNUMX p.m.: Norway – Germany, in Lillehammer/NOR
SPORT1.de Sat, April 08.04.2017, 18, 10:XNUMX p.m.: Norway – Germany, in Lillehammer/NOR
SPORT1 Sat, April 08.04.2017, 19, 15:XNUMX p.m.: Norway – Germany, in Lillehammer/NOR
SPORT1 Fri, April 14.04.2017, 18, 00:XNUMX p.m.: Belarus – Germany, in Zhlobin/BLR
SPORT1 Sat, April 15.04.2017, 16, 25:XNUMX p.m.: Belarus – Germany, in Bobruisk/BLR
SPORT1 Sat, April 22.04.2017, 15, 30:XNUMX p.m.: Germany – Czech Republic, in Nuremberg
SPORT1 Sun, April 23.04.2017, 16, 30:XNUMX p.m.: Germany – Czech Republic, in Mannheim
SPORT1 Sun, April 30.04.2017, 20, 15:XNUMX p.m.: Germany – Latvia, in Bietigheim
SPORT1 Mon, May 01.05.2017, 17, 55:XNUMX p.m.: Germany – Latvia, in Ravensburg