Manuel Alberg is not impressed by the circumstances, the thought of the U20 World Cup in Edmonton actually makes his eyes light up. "I'm doing great, the atmosphere is good and all the boys are really looking forward to it," says the U20 national team winger. Since Sunday, the Cologne native and his teammates have been gathered at the national base in Füssen and are working hard to be in top shape for the season highlight in Canada starting on December 25. "The fact that the tournament is taking place despite everything shows the great value of the World Cup," says Alberg.
North America is not new territory for the fast and technically gifted attacker. Before he decided to move to Salzburg this summer Red Bull Hockey Juniors decided, Alberg gained valuable experience in Canadian and American young talent leagues. His journey initially began in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Owen Sound Attack and led to the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL league.
The time overseas has shaped him and allowed him to gain important experiences. At the beginning, the time he spent on assignment was not what Alberg (photo left: Dominic Pencz) wanted or imagined and what he wanted from the young talent of the Kölner Haie knew - he first had to accept this. “I had to learn to deal with it, the first year was really hard,” says Alberg, whose family comes from Kazakhstan. After 55 games for Owen Sound with two goals, they parted ways and the success with the U18 national team, which was promoted to the top division in spring 2019, was all the better for him. A significant part of this former team has now come back together at U20 age.
Alberg, who was always trained at Cologne's Young Talents, except for a two-year detour to Krefeld, then tried again in North America in Moncton and got on much better. But since only two import players are allowed in the QJMHL and the Russian Alexander Khovanov took Alberg's place as an NHL draft pick, the talented German had to make way and found a chance in Des Moines. Nevertheless, he has fond memories of Moncton. "I would have liked to go to Moncton again, it was amazing there, but so much was unclear because of the pandemic," says Alberg. So his path led him to Europe and the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg. "The training conditions are great, everything you need is there," reports Alberg - and of course the contact with the EHC Red Bull München.
But first the big challenge awaits him and his teammates in Edmonton. Being able to compete with the world's best young talent players is a huge motivation and U20 national coach Tobias Abstreiter appreciates Alberg's abilities. “He impressed me at the course in Switzerland in July, brings a lot of energy to the team and can take on a leadership position. “He also knows how to behave on the small ice, which is also a crucial factor,” says the coach.
Alberg is also prepared for the period of isolation after arriving in Canada. In addition to the training sessions in the room, various team meetings and the virtual NHL duels planned by the team on the game console, the 19-year-old also has a few books with him. "It's important not to sit in front of the computer too much," he says.
Alberg (photo above: Dominic Pencz) emphasizes that the special conditions mean a lot will depend on team spirit. “We have to show how well we stick together.” In particular, the opponents on the ice should notice that in the selection of the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund one stands up for the other and that it is not primarily about shining individually. “Of course I also want to prove myself, but it’s about Germany, about the team,” says Alberg, who can make a valuable contribution with his skills as a “two-way player”.