As part of the ongoing application process to host the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, a delegation from the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund met. V., including President Dr. Peter Merten, Vice President Andreas Niederberger and General Secretary Claus Gröbner as well as the Managing Director of Teamsport Germany, Thomas Willenbacher, with a delegation from the World Ice Hockey Federation IIHF for an informal exchange at the end of last week Berlin.
In addition to the influence of the current energy crisis on the national associations and the associated situation of the ice rinks and national gaming operations, IIHF President Luc Tardif, IIHF Senior Vice President Petr Bříza and IIHF General Secretary Matti Nurminen also inquired about the current status of the Application process. During the two-day stay, the agenda included a visit to the Bundestag and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI), which is responsible for sport. All members of the Sports Committee, as well as Mahmut Özdemir, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior and Homeland, ensured this across all factions DEB and the IIHF give their full political support in the spirit of the National Strategy for Major Sports Events. In addition, everyone praised the professional organization of major sporting events in Germany, the excellent infrastructure and the enthusiastic Germans Fans highlighted.