National coach Toni Söderholm was actually supposed to coach the international matches against Switzerland this week. After the cancellation of the measure, the focus is now on the 2021 World Cup in Riga, Latvia. In the DEBIn the interview, the 42-year-old Finn talks about the status of preparation, the plans for the squad composition and is already looking towards the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
DEB: “After almost a year of the pandemic, everyone has had to learn to deal with many uncertainties. Have you gotten used to it as a national coach now?”
Toni Söderholm (42/national coach): “Of course you can’t and don’t want to get used to it. But you may learn to think multidimensionally, what can happen and what has to be planned or that you have to have three or four different plans. But in the end I don't know what will happen next. Especially as a national coach, you have to learn to deal with disappointments when games are canceled and measures are canceled. But that’s how it is, you always have to try to make the best of the circumstances.”
DEB: "In this situation, how good is the clarity about the 2021 World Cup host?”
Söderholm: “This is very important because now you can focus your thoughts on what awaits us in Riga. We don't have too much information yet, but we know where the game will be played and the general conditions. We're still waiting for the timeline of how everything will work out, but at least now we can talk to other nations and plan preparatory games, we can put together different scenarios and depending on when we know when we have to be in Riga and whether we have preparatory games there, Let’s base our plans accordingly.”
DEB: “How much can we currently say about the preparations for the World Cup?”
Soderholm: “Christian Künast has spoken a lot with other nations about their plans. The fact is: everyone wants to play before the World Cup tournament and we are now trying to find solutions to what we can do. Every game before the World Cup is incredibly important now. It is also important that we get information in the near future about how the World Cup tournament is going: Is it a bubble or not? If so, then it's special for the players too. They're not used to it at a World Cup. An experienced player goes into town for coffee on a day off and feels a bit of World Cup atmosphere. Everything will be different this time if we play in a bubble. The players also need clear information.”
DEB: “That means there are currently scenarios A, B and C and you wait to see what specifications come from the world association.”
Soderholm: “We now have the original calendar plus three or four variants. You then have to coordinate with the leagues about what is possible for us, how many players are eligible, when the DEL play-offs are over and all of these things. We have to keep an eye on all of this now.”
DEB: “What are your expectations at the moment when it comes to the start of preparations for the World Cup?”
Soderholm: "About the last week of April, first week of May. The last week of April is now our goal, we hope to be able to start then."
DEB: "How do you design the World Cup squad based solely on observations and more or less remote analysis?”
Soderholm: “The situation in the NHL does play a role, because it was planned that the main round would end on May 8th, but now they have postponed it to May 10th and they already have around 30 games have to relocate. At some point the main round has to end, also because of the advertising and TV contracts that exist over there. Then it might be really close and extremely tight for the World Cup if there are quarantine times. But I already have a few ideas for the squad. I'm broadly working with about two teams at the moment in terms of the number of players I'm looking at. I think we already have a pretty good insight into where the players are now. There is also planning with the NHL players and planning without them.”
DEB: “To what extent can you provide insight into what is important to you when choosing?”
Soderholm: “Speed of play is a big issue, decisions under pressure, decisions in tight spaces, strength in tackles. Then it is important what role a player has at his home club. If someone doesn't play the power play or box play for their club, then you really have to think about whether it is possible with a short preparation to evaluate the player for the special teams at a World Cup.
DEB: “When putting together the World Cup squad, did you also have the Olympic Games in mind?”
Soderholm: “Yes, I can say that. But at the same time you also have to say: If someone doesn't take part in the World Cup, it doesn't mean at all that the player no longer has a chance at the Olympics. An incredible amount can happen between June and December, January, February. Incredibly much. Especially with younger players, they can suddenly take steps that you almost can't believe. So it does have a meaning, but it’s not a final decision at all.”
DEB: “What points are currently important to you with a view to Beijing?”
Soderholm: “If the NHL is there, then it will be a very, very high quality tournament. In terms of speed, it will be extremely fast on the NHL ice surface, so speed, tackling strength and running skills are even more important. These factors are all even more important. You have to be able to make clean decisions in tight spaces and really stay within the system.”
DEB: “What important dates or guidelines have you set for yourself for the year leading up to the Olympics?”
Soderholm: “Some are predetermined. We will send out a longlist in September and then it will come Deutschland Cup, then the next nomination phase comes in December and the final nomination is around mid-January. And we assume that we will have a meeting, a kind of kick-off, in the summer. How we do this, whether with or without ice training, is still an open question.”
DEB: “Do you have a feeling about where the German team currently stands or is that the most difficult factor to judge given the overall situation?”
Soderholm: “It’s really difficult to assess. The Deutschland Cup was good, it was good that we played him. We have gained some experience, but there are seven other nations in the group stage with us at the World Cup. In this respect, it is already a fairly unknown factor.”
Photos: Dominic Pencz