Ten new players on board / national coach Marco Sturm tests different lineups against Latvia
With a squad of 27 players, the German national ice hockey team is starting its final and crucial preparation phase for the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. This Thursday the team meets in Ludwigsburg, around 20 minutes by bus from the Bietigheim-Bissingen training location. The first of two comparisons with Latvia will take place there on Sunday (April 30). The World Cup dress rehearsal will take place one day later in Ravensburg (May 1st).
National coach Marco Sturm gave his protégés three days off after the tests against the Czech Republic last weekend. Before the home World Cup, it will be the last time for many players on home soil. Only next Tuesday will be used for regeneration before the team moves into their cabin in the LANXESS arena.
Sturm welcomes ten new players today. In addition to the NHL stars Thomas Greiss and Dennis Seidenberg, there are seven finalists from the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) in the squad. Added to this is Justin Krueger from SC Bern. The defensive player was able to defend the championship title in Switzerland just like his national team mates from Munich.
The coming days should be used to integrate the “newcomers” and to find the rhythm for the World Cup. “We have a strong opponent in Latvia,” says Sturm: “The challenge is not without its challenges. The Latvians are very well versed in technology and running.” The national coach was not yet able to say exactly what the formations would look like. Just this much: “Two different lineups will be used in both games.”