The national coach is already in the middle of planning the World Cup / Four international matches before the German ones Fans / Use the euphoria, but remain realistic: “We won’t suddenly be the favorite”
It's been around a month since the German national ice hockey team made history by winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games and sparked a new ice hockey euphoria in this country. While the national players are now in the middle of the DEL playoffs with their clubs, the father of Pyeongchang's success, national coach Marco Sturm, is already preparing for the next highlight: the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Denmark (May 4th - 20th 2018). The 39-year-old coach is currently planning the preparation phase starting on April 2nd.
As part of the Euro Hockey Challenge, the national team will first go to Sochi, Russia, where they have the opportunity for an Olympic revenge twice against hosts Russia. This is followed by the selection of the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB) four times in a row in front of their own audience: in Weißwasser (April 14th) and Dresden (April 15th) against Slovakia and a week later against France in Wolfsburg (April 19.4th) and Berlin (April 21.4). At the end of the preparation, the national team travels to Denmark for two comparisons.
The 39-year-old thought about how the national coach experienced the past few weeks, what the plans are for the future and how German ice hockey can benefit sustainably from the success at the Olympic Games.
Marco Sturm about...
…the days and weeks after winning the silver medal…
It was crazy how many people approached me and still do. The congratulations never ended. Things are slowly getting back to normal. But so far not a day has gone by without the silver medal being an issue. I'm still happy to receive any congratulations. It will probably stay that way.
... the media hype surrounding yourself and the team...
I actually wanted to switch off and relax for a few days after the Olympic Games. That wasn't possible at all. But despite the stress, I enjoyed doing it and tried to attend all appointments and interview requests. At least I was able to spend some quieter days with the family recently.
It was almost the same for the team. The only big difference is that the boys all had to switch to playing immediately. I think the players still have to take their medals somewhere every day to show them off (laughs).
… the importance of the Olympic silver for German ice hockey …
That's the most important point: 25 boys now have an Olympic medal in their hands and have achieved a sensation. We must now work towards using this success as a basis for young talent work. We have to get children and their parents excited about our great sport and we have to create the structures so that we can bind young talent to ice hockey. We need specialists such as qualified trainers to train young talent. Above all, we need ice ages. With the POWERPLAY 26 concept, we have set ourselves a big challenge. But also one that can be achieved. The big nations will continue to be superior to us in most cases in the future, that's completely normal, but we want to at least be close to them one day.
... the increased expectations of the public ...
Of course, the national team is perceived completely differently now and we are happy about that. Despite all the euphoria, we must not forget that the success of Pyeongchang does not automatically mean that we will now be among the favorites at a World Cup or another tournament. For us in Denmark, too, it is initially about defending our current world ranking position and stabilizing ourselves. This will be hard enough. After all, no opponent takes us lightly anymore. A different wind is blowing towards us now.
… the upcoming Euro Hockey Challenge …
In Sochi against Russia it starts with the strongest opponent. We have to be at operating temperature immediately. I particularly enjoy performing in front of my own Fans in Weißwasser and Dresden against Slovakia and then in Wolfsburg and Berlin against France. The Slovaks have not least won at the Olympic Games or at Deutschland Cup showed in Augbsurg that they can have a strong team together at any time. We will have to be ready for that. France has developed very well in recent years. Almost all of the French players are in the big leagues in Europe.
… the squad for the Euro Hockey Challenge …
It is clear that we will start with a different team due to the playoffs or injuries. It's a new challenge again. But I will definitely give one or the other a chance to show themselves again. As a coach, you always have to keep an eye on the big picture. We want to use the Euro Hockey Challenge to get the players even more used to the international level. It's about trying some things. Of course we would like to win all the upcoming games, but the pure results are of secondary importance in the preparation.