In the last training phase before the World Cup, Denmark will play against the hosts and South Korea / SPORT1 will broadcast live
Marco Sturm doesn't like this situation at all. “These are the difficult aspects of my job. To tell the players that they are no longer there." He still has time in the next four days, including the two games against Denmark (Wednesday) and South Korea (Friday), to think about who he wants in the upcoming 2018 IIHF World Cup in Herning/Denmark (May 4th – 20th, 2018) in his squad – and who not. It's decision week.
Given the impressions of the games played so far, the national coach should of course already have a basic framework in mind. What is certain is that the NHL players are seeded. Leon Draisaitl arrived the previous week Berlin, Dennis Seidenberg is joining the team from today. This will be followed by Korbinian Holzer when he travels to Denmark next week.
Speaking of Holzer: The defender from Anaheim is certainly one of the pillars of the German squad again. Along with Seidenberg, his presence alone is worth gold for any team. However, the Munich native cannot take part in the important and difficult opening game of the World Cup against Denmark. In his last appearance for the national team in 2016 in Russia against the hosts (1:4), he subsequently received a game ban. This kicks off.
However, that is still a thing of the future. First of all, the national team would like to make both upcoming preparation games successful. Sturm is less concerned with results and more concerned with the performance of his boys. True to the motto: You can't buy victories during preparation. But the national coach certainly wouldn't mind if you start the World Cup with a good feeling thanks to a success.