With the U15 Länderpokal “Future” in Selb, the German Ice Hockey Federation eV (DEBThe series of regional cup tournaments once again places a strong emphasis on talent development. The aim is to continuously scout and develop young players and provide them with valuable competitive experience. From December 4th to 6th, 2025, five select teams from [region/state] will meet in Selb. Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, Hessen/Nordrhein-Westfalen, Sachsen/Berlin as well as the Red Bull Academy Salzburg in a "round-robin" tournament format.
The Länderpokal (regional cup) in Selb is the second event in this newly created series, following the premiere in Crimmitschau in August 2025. The format closes a previously existing gap in young talent development, which meant that players in the U15 age group could only be scouted and developed irregularly. With the Länderpokal concept, the DEB his talent observation thus ensures a broader, more systematic overview of the potential of the respective age groups – for more perspectives, development and competitive quality in German young talent ice hockey.
Structure & Process
The organizers of the U15 Länderpokal “Future” have invited more than 100 players to Selb, who were nominated in advance by the respective state coaches.
The coaching teams – consisting of national coaches, assistant coaches, regional coaches, and goalkeeping coaches – accompany the players throughout the entire competition period to gain a comprehensive overview of their individual performance levels. In addition, off-ice athletic training sessions are offered to provide information about each player's fitness level.
Program overview:
- ThursdayIce training for all teams
- Friday: Coaches' meeting and exchange
- Friday & Saturday: Tournament games in "Everyone against everyone" mode
U16 national coach Robin Beckers: “After two years of conceptualization and development, we are pleased to be able to see over 100 players of each age group at a competitive level with the new scouting system. This represents an important step in developing young talent. By holding the Länderpokal (regional cup), we remain true to our chosen path of seeing as many players as possible and not writing anyone off too early. Players develop very differently, especially in these age groups. We have therefore further expanded the number of participating players and the points of contact within the scouting process.”
DEB-Head coach talent development and club support Florian Ondruschka"The Länderpokal in Selb is a great opportunity for us to get to know the players born in 2011 even better. It also offers participating players training sessions, workshops, and matches at a high level. We are very grateful to the organizers in Selb for their support in planning and running the event. Without their commitment, such a three-day scouting event in tournament format would not be possible."