Long day ahead: 16 hours and 1.800 kilometers / Patrick Reimer is still sitting out
Today, Thursday, will be a long day for the German national ice hockey team. There are 7 hours between breakfast at 23 a.m. and dinner at 16 p.m. - and a distance of around 1.800 kilometers. At 17 p.m., following another session in the SAP Arena, national coach Marco Sturm's team will travel to Flfrom Frankfurt first to Minsk. Then continue by bus about 150 kilometers to Bobruisk, one of the two venues for the games against Belarus (April 14th and 15.4th, both live on SPORT1).
The 26-man squad is reduced by one position. Striker Patrick Reimer will not make the trip to Belarus. Although the captain of the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers trained without restrictions this week, according to national coach Marco Sturm, his deployment still comes a little too early. “After consulting with the doctors and Patrick, we decided together that he would sit out this weekend as a precaution due to an injury he suffered in the playoffs.” However, Reimer will rejoin the team for the Phase III preparation phase in Nuremberg next week.
According to Sturm, the two games as part of the Euro Hockey Challenge are a welcome indicator: “We know the Belarusians very well from previous duels. They are not only technically and running strong, but also physically very present. The term “hardness test” is absolutely appropriate in this context, noted Sturm with a smug smile.
In order to survive in Belarus, the German selection has to go one step further compared to the first two games in Norway last week. The units at the short training camp in Mannheim were correspondingly intense. The coaches particularly focused on duels, structure and special teams. The pace increased noticeably. “We want and have to improve,” said Sturm.