Four games, three defeats, one win: That is the record of the German U18 national team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which was held this year in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the interview, U18 national coach Alexander Dück talks about his first tournament as national coach, the team spirit - and gives an outlook on the Ice Hockey World Cup in Germany next year.
A few days have passed since the team returned from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. It was your first tournament as national coach of the U18 national ice hockey team. Looking back: How was the tournament?
Alexander Dück: It was very interesting to compare the team with the top international teams. The fact that we won against Switzerland at the end of the tournament was very positive for us and a great motivation for the boys. You have worked hard and invested a lot. It's nice that they had a sense of achievement and that we finished the tournament with a win.
What did you learn from the tournament?
Alexander Dück: The differences between the nations were sometimes very large – technically, running and physically. We have seen that many teams, even at the junior level, act primarily from a defensive perspective and stick to the previously established structures on the ice. The high pace and the immense stress were also new for our boys. Keeping up with three or four games at a high level is a challenge.
How did you manage to keep the motivation and endurance high in the team?
Alexander Dück: What definitely helped was the strong team spirit in the team. For me it is very special that we are one big family. That's also very important to me - being a team family, even if some players aren't there every game. I noticed during our course in Füssen that it is a team that has a very strong character and a lot of cohesion.
This solidarity also runs through the entire staff. There are no barriers between the coaches and the team. Everyone can approach each other, everyone helps each other. For me, that is the basis of a good team. I thought it was nice that as head coach I am not alone and have to sort everything out myself. The fact that the team supports you, takes on tasks and is there to help and advise you is very helpful in a tournament like this.
How did the players perform during the tournament?
Alexander Dück: The team presented itself very well as a team. There were even players who surprised us and who surpassed themselves. An example: A player received a really bad check against Switzerland and suffered severe bruised ribs. I think 99 percent of the players wouldn't have continued playing. But he gritted his teeth and played until the end. We need players like that as leaders in the team. We are looking for players with character and I can definitely say the players played their way into my heart during the tournament.
Where is there still room for improvement, also with a view to the next few weeks and months?
Alexander Dück: We played well against Sweden. Against Slovakia and the USA we were not at all the team we would like to see on the ice. The players left the structure and wanted to solve the tasks themselves. That is not possible at this level. We played against top players, the Slovaks play in top leagues and also play very well together as a team.
One learning from the tournament is: We have to stick to the system and follow the structures. Things went much better against Switzerland. We believed in ourselves and stuck with our game until the end. We caught up twice, played through extra time without conceding a goal, held our nerve in the penalty shootout and ultimately won the game.
All in all, we are happy with the tournament because we found our style and our game, especially towards the end.
Let's look at the present and a little into the future: What are your plans for the near future? What are the next steps?
Alexander Dück: We will first talk to the clubs. It's important that we address the things we noticed at the tournament and then work on them together. We only come together as a national team for a short time. During this time we can't work intensively on the basics and make the players tired - we need them to be in top condition for the games. We depend on the good work of the clubs to continually improve the players' skills, be it in strength, speed, endurance, passes or skating skills.
How does the German U18 national team compare internationally?
Alexander Dück: I think we managed a little surprise against Sweden in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. We are interesting for the bottom table of the world's best, they will definitely take us seriously. Our goal is to become an opponent for the big players who they also show respect for. Even if we may not win the games against top teams, the opponents should say: “Germany is a team that never gives up and is not easy to beat.”
Next year there will be a highlight in the calendar with the home World Cup. What do you plan to do to ensure that the clubs and the... DEB Prepare the team as well as possible together?
Alexander Dück: I see myself as a link between that DEB and the clubs. It's important that we communicate a lot and focus on training the players well. From the first course onwards, we are now continuously working towards the World Cup. It starts with them DEB-Values that we convey to the players: faith, will, passion, pride, unity. It continues with technique, tactics and moves. We want to continue to improve from day to day.
There are a lot of tasks ahead of us in the next few weeks: analyzing the tournament, improving deficits, further consolidating strengths - and then we'll see how we do at the World Cup next year.