The 2021 IIHF World Championships in Riga will be remembered for a long time by the German national ice hockey team. National coach Toni Söderholm's team caused great enthusiasm in Germany, reaching people on TV with their cohesion, their passion and also their playing class.
These achievements were also reflected in the tournament statistics. Some outstanding figures and facts are listed here as examples.
All Stars
Korbinian Holzer and Moritz Seider played a significant role in the German defense performing convincingly at the highest international level. And both received individual awards for their strong performances. Seider was named the best defender of the World Cup by the IIHF Tournament Directorate and was voted into the World Cup All Star Team by journalists from all over the world. Holzer formed the second part of the defense in the All Star Team and earned this not only with his eye-catching play, but also with his special leadership qualities. The 33-year-old finished the World Cup with two goals and two assists in ten games and a plus-minus record of +6. Seider (20), who is planning to make his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings next season, contributed five assists in ten games and impressed above all with his very complete game.
Best players
Holzer Not only did he find his way into the World Cup All Star Team, he was also singled out by his own team for the way he put himself at the service of the team. The over 200-time NHL player counted three German players who were considered the best in the DEB-Selection was chosen. In addition to Holzer, goalkeepers received this award Mathias Niederberger, who made a name for himself as the “Octopus of Riga” and was a tremendous support for the German Ice Hockey Federation team with his splendid performances. In his seven starts, Niederberger achieved an exceptional goal-against average of 1,70 per game and a great Fangquote of 92,9 percent. His performance against Canada (3:1) remains unforgettable, when he was plagued by cramps at times. And the third in the group was Marcel Noebels, not least thanks to the decisive penalty in the 3-2 win against Switzerland Fanconquered hearts. The two-time PENNY DEL Player of the Year finished the tournament with eight scorer points in ten games (3 goals/5 assists) and was extremely valuable beyond that.
top scorer
How Noebels came Matthias Plachta on scorer points, but the man from Mannheim scored one more goal than that Berlinand is therefore considered the best German scorer of the World Cup. Overall, Plachta was ranked twelfth, with Canadian Connor Brown (16 points) leading the list. The 30-year-old was particularly notable for his hard direct shots, one of which found its target in the semi-final against Finland. Against Norway, Plachta also shone with strong hand-eye coordination when he deflected a puck from Moritz Müller in a spectacular and unstoppable manner. He scored further goals against Italy and Canada. Plachta played his 2th international match against Latvia (1:100).
Plus-minus balance
Moritz Mueller led the way as captain, and like many of his teammates, he threw himself fearlessly into the opponent's shots and never spared himself. But the ratio of goals scored to goals conceded, with the 168-time national player on the ice when the numbers were equal, was also positive. Overall, like Holzer, the statistics showed a +6, with Müller experiencing eight German goals when the numbers were equal on the ice and only two goals conceded. The 34-year-old also scored a goal himself against the Italians in a 9:4 win, and we will also remember how Müller was caught painfully on the hand and then on the ankle when blocking a shot against the USA. He dragged himself to the bench in pain and was symbolically honored as "best player" after the game, and was hugged and comforted by his teammates when Müller let his feelings run free.
World Cup group 2022
One of the many pleasant impressions of this World Cup from a German perspective is the look at the new world rankings DEBteam is now in fifth place – ahead of Sweden and the Czech Republic. It is the highest ranking for a German team since the introduction of the rankings and is also proof of the great performance of national coach Toni Söderholm's team. A circumstance that also has an impact on the composition of the groups for the 2022 World Cup in Finland (Helsinki/Tampere). The DEB-Puck hunters will then meet the teams from Canada, the Russian Olympic Committee, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Kazakhstan and Italy in Group A in Helsinki. The tournament will take place from May 13 to 29, 2022.
