The German national coach exclusively talks about the Olympics, DEL, Leon Draisaitl and his move, among other things
Marco Sturm has not only made a good name for himself as a player in the NHL and DEL, he has been the manager and coach of the German national team for two years and has celebrated his first successes in this position.
The 38-year-old from Lower Bavaria managed to make the difficult Olympic qualification for 2018 and at the 2016 and 2017 World Championships he led the German team to the quarter-finals, which was previously not a given.
Nevertheless, the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB) are not satisfied with this in the future and are aiming for higher goals. In the POWERPLAY26 project, the goal was formulated to want to play for medals again at international tournaments by 2026.
But until then, German ice hockey still has a lot of work to do, as Sturm admitted in an exclusive interview with NHL.com/de. This and other interesting topics, such as his expiring contract, were addressed in an extensive conversation between Sturm and our chief author Stefan Herget in his new hometown of Landshut.
What does the national ice hockey coach do in the summer other than moving?
Sturm: (laughs) “Yes, the container finally arrived yesterday, so I’m still working hard. Otherwise I travel a lot because the season generally starts in July. There are already a lot of young talent measures underway. Then we had our Olympic camp for the national players in Heidelberg with a fitness test. I visit a lot of teams and am at a U18 tournament in Mannheim. “Therefore there is enough work for the national coach in the summer.”
We have already mentioned your move from Florida to Germany. Were there professional reasons for this?
Sturm: “An important reason was the Olympics in February next year. This means that I have to travel a lot in Germany because otherwise I only have the... Deutschland-Cup as a test for the national team. So the family came to me and asked whether it would be possible to move to Germany. The opportunity for this step was just right and we are looking forward to this experience, which will be very exciting for my two children (note: son Mason Joseph (13 years old) and daughter Kaydie (11)). They’re happy about it and that’s the most important thing.”
So it has nothing to do with the political situation in the USA?
Sturm: (laughs) “No, not at all or not yet.”
Why to Landshut?
Sturm: “It was always clear to us that if we wanted to go back to Germany, then to Landshut. My wife is from here and I have lived here for almost 25 years. We have spent almost every summer here and we feel comfortable here. We wouldn’t have liked moving to a big city like Munich.”
How certain can it be assumed that you will extend your contract, which runs until 2018?
Sturm: “I’ve heard that question several times. (laughs) I only had a short conversation with Franz Reindl about it, but it's not important at all because the contract runs for another year. I want to really enjoy the coming season first. There are some important dates and challenges coming up, including Franz's presidential election in June. Then it will become clear how it actually works DEB will continue.”
Does this mean that your ambitions to pursue a career as a trainer in North America have been shelved?
Sturm: “No, I’m still young and still have a lot of time. It was the right decision to move at this point. So I want to enjoy it and learn from it. From year to year, from World Cup to World Cup, it's great experiences for me to work in the international sector. I try to take as much from it as possible. If such an offer were to come along in the future, it would of course be a dream. But that’s still a long way off.”
Will the contact with the NHL players become worse because it was definitely better in Florida?
Sturm: “It was better, of course. There are always advantages and disadvantages. But my contact with them is good anyway. That won't change. I want to travel to North America once or twice and watch a few games anyway.”
There are some statements from NHL players that they will come to the national team if Marco calls. What are you doing differently than your predecessors?
Sturm: “Actually nothing. At the end of the day, the player decides. I don't threaten anyone. (laughs) Of course it's an advantage that I played with a few guys. I'm not that far away. Of course that helps.”
What is your personal conclusion about the past season?
Sturm: "It was an important year for us, starting with the Olympic qualification and ending with the World Championship in our own country. Nobody knew where we were headed and the boys did a great job. We played the best ice hockey in the qualification since I've been in office and that was what we needed to do to survive. At the World Championship at home we reached the quarter-finals again and made it through to Canada. So looking back, it's very positive."
Where is it? DEB at POWERPLAY 26 at the moment?
Sturm: "We still have a lot of work ahead of us. We are trying everything, especially our president, who is fully committed to this task, and our new sports director Stefan Schaidnagel, who is really making a difference internally. We will continue on the path we have chosen. However, we are dependent on the support of others and unfortunately not everyone always pulls together. All we can do is convince people with our positive example."
Is your criticism also aimed at the young talent area, where things are not going well and that would be the basis for this project?
Sturm: “Yes, things are not going well there yet. I'm being completely honest. Things are not looking positive in the entire junior sector at the moment. There is a fairly large hole that appeared a few years ago where some things were missed and the result can now be seen. But I think the project is heading in the right direction and already shows good approaches that could pay off in the future. But we still need the years we’re aiming for.”
Switzerland has made good developments here. Will we also look to the southwest to see what is happening there?
Sturm: “No, I know Switzerland a little better now. Not everything is rosy there. They have a lot more money at their disposal and use it well in their young talent work. Swiss players are also increasingly being used in the National League. That can then be seen in the national team.”
However, it must be acknowledged without envy that they held up well at the World Cup with almost no NHL players and are now annoying the big boys.
Sturm: “Yes, they played better. I watched every game. It was surprising how well they performed.”
Or the Swiss U20, who can also compete in the first division?
Sturm: “In general, the entire underground area in Switzerland is good. But they also invest more and have more money available, which we unfortunately lack. But we look at ourselves and our possibilities and make the best of them.”
An expression of this development is Nico Hischier, who was the first player outside the top 6 nations to be drafted number 1 in the NHL. How do you see the chance that a German could one day take this place?
Sturm: “Yes, why not? Of course, it always depends on how strong the respective vintage is. This year, Leon Draisaitl might have been the one without wanting to diminish Hischier. Apart from Leon, we're definitely not having a good phase at the moment, which is why fewer Germans are being drafted. But I am convinced that this will change again and then perhaps one of us will be at the top.”
How can ice hockey position itself better in the classic football country of Germany?
Sturm: “That’s difficult. There are small steps that we have to master. In Germany it is not easy for all sports beyond football. But a good league and a good national team are important for media presence. The cooperation between the leagues and the association must be better. This is not always the case and hinders development somewhat.”
To what extent can German ice hockey benefit from the Draisaitl effect?
Sturm: “Leon is far away, but he has developed through young talent work in Germany. Of course, this has to be worked out positively. We are all proud that he has made it this far. It should be an incentive for our youth, especially here in Landshut, where Tobias Rieder and Tom Kühnhackl train in the summer. I think it’s good that they are role models for young people and that can only be positive and hopefully motivating.”
It is noticeable that thanks to Draisaitl, ice hockey is also becoming the focus of reporting by major media outlets. Are these effects that should be used?
Sturm: “Absolutely. It is therefore important that the national team presents itself well. This brings us more into focus. We have to get as much out of moments like the Olympics or the home World Cup and move forward step by step. It was great that Leon came to the World Cup in Cologne and played a few games. That’s exactly what helps our sport.”
How does he do it? DEB To use Draisaitl as a figurehead, but on the other hand not to overwhelm him at his young age?
Sturm: “It's not like he regularly works for him DEB is the focus. If he is with us, then it is my job to manage it. I think anyone who plays in the NHL knows the pressure that comes with it. If you can't handle the expectations, you will fail. And Leon also needed a year where he had to go back to the junior league. But I think he has now seen it, learned it and understood how to deal with such situations.”
How do you assess Leon's further development? Will things continue like this with him at this level?
Sturm: “He will continue to score points again and again. I don't see any reason why it would be worse than last year. Points don't always say everything, but he certainly won't make a big swing backwards. On the contrary, he is a young and hungry player who wants and can achieve more. And if he has Connor McDavid at his side, then he has a good chance of repeating his performance.” (laughs)
Is the new eight-year contract also an advantage for him? DEB, because Draisaitl is covered in this regard and can play for the national team without worrying about endangering his NHL career through an injury?
Sturm: “Yes, of course. The national team is a special forum for a player and Leon appreciates that. I hope and assume that it will stay that way for him. On the other hand, it is also understandable that a player will cancel if there is a lot of money at stake for him personally. I completely understand that. After all, I had the same experience. But Leon played at the World Cup in Cologne despite his expiring contract, which is even more to his credit.”
Draisaitl will have to leave in the future DEB be insured expensively in the event of an injury in the national jersey and a possible long-term absence, as was often the case in basketball with Dirk Nowitzki when he played for the national team?
Storm: “No. In ice hockey, security is provided exclusively by the team and the player himself. To do this, he must DEB do not take out additional insurance. This is only an issue when the term of the contract is coming to an end.”
The DEL is an important point. To what extent does the league need to promote German ice hockey more?
Sturm: “I don't think it's a secret when I say that we need to use the licensed players more. We need fewer foreigners or players who are Germanized too quickly. These are areas where we can make progress and not have to roll backwards. But that doesn't happen overnight either. First of all, we as an association have to do our homework, especially in promoting young talent, and then the league has to follow suit more so that we can have great German ice hockey in the future.”
Let’s get back to the topic of the Olympics. The NHL players probably won't be available. Doesn't that increase Germany's chances of causing more of a stir?
Sturm: “Difficult, but probably not, because the Swedes and Finns will still be better than us. This must be acknowledged without envy. Norway and of course Switzerland will also be well positioned. We will be smarter after the Olympics. We are there and want to present ourselves just as well as in the last tournaments and continue to improve. If we can do that, then the result and success will be good. We won’t hide, we’ll give it our all in every game and we want to win every game.”
The owner of the Washington Capitals said that he might release players for the Olympics. Has there already been a signal from Philipp Grubauer, who is backup there?
Sturm: “No, this is just a story about Alex Ovechkin, who really wants to take part. The fact that all farm teams and lower leagues have now been banned shows that the NHL is serious. So I would be surprised if someone from the NHL took part. Unfortunately."
What is your goal for the Olympics?
Sturm: “As already mentioned, it is important that we convince and sell ourselves at a high price. We have to build on how we have presented ourselves in recent years. The missing NHL players mean an opportunity for other players to be used accordingly. Hopefully we will be spared any injuries so that we can perform with the best German squad with a good feeling and achieve a good result.”
Marco, I would like to thank you for the detailed conversation and wish you continued success in your task.
Source: NHL.com/de