A piece of the mosaic on the way to the Olympics: With the Course of a perspective team National coach Toni Söderholm (Photo: Andrej Galica) will ring in the season for the national ice hockey team from September 27th to 30th. The four-day measure is carried out at the federal base in Füssen under the strict implementation of the hygiene concept of the Ice Hockey Task Force and is already part of the long-term preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The DEB-Coach plans the course with a squad size three full ranks from the top team Beijing, three ranks from the U20 team and four goalkeepers. The announcement of the squad will take place approximately one week before the start of the course. Toni Söderholm wants to use the time for intensive training sessions and honing in on common goals. Also in preparation for the one scheduled for November 5th to 8th Deutschland Cup The possibility of this short-term measure is a positive aspect.
Since the duels between the top team Beijing and Switzerland in February 2020, there has been no action by the national team as a result of the effects of the corona pandemic. The last tournament game of the DEBThe team's encounter against Slovakia on November 10, 2019 was the previous one Deutschland Cup.
DEB-Sports Director Stefan Schaidnagel: “With a view to future major events, this perspective team course is an important opportunity to continue to prepare our national players at the highest level. The heterogeneous preparation of the players in their clubs caused by the corona pandemic makes this measure all the more important, because it is also generally about keeping the players at a high level for the World Cup and the 2022 Olympics. We are in the direct pre-Olympic season, that is the explosiveness and therefore we have to use this time. This season will probably be more challenging for the national team than any before and we need intensive, close cooperation between the national team, the clubs and players.”
National coach Toni Söderholm: “In view of the competing nations and the fact that they can prepare much more intensively for the season, the course is of enormous importance. All direct competitors have been playing regular test matches since the end of August and therefore German ice hockey must also start training and playing. In German ice hockey we also need clear signals about the performance of the national team, otherwise we risk losing touch internationally and that would be very unfortunate given the developments in recent years. This course is not least important in view of the Deutschland Cup, the games of the top team Beijing in February, the World Cup next spring and to be able to assess the current condition of the players. It is now the case that for every measure lost, the importance of the next measure increases. The competition becomes more intense and without games, training becomes a stage for promoting oneself.”
There will also be a meeting from Sunday (September 13.9th). Perspective team of the women's national team under the leadership of women's national coach Christian Künast for a four-day event. After three courses by the Bundeswehr sports development group and one by the entire team, this is the fifth event by the women's national team since the end of July.