On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, the U18 men's national team will begin its preparations for this year's World Championship. The 28-member squad of U18 national coach Andreas Becherer The team will meet at the federal training center in Füssen for this purpose. The five-day course will include six on-ice sessions and various meetings. Phase 1 also includes a World Championship preparation game against the Swiss U18 team – this is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 15:30 p.m. in Herisau.
After completing the first preparation phase in Füssen, Andreas Becherer, together with his coaching team, will nominate the final 25-member squad for the second preparation course in Bratislava (SVK) and the subsequent World Championship.
The IIHF U18 World Championship 2026 will take place from April 22nd to May 2nd in Slovakia (Trenčín and Bratislava). Germany will face Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic and the USA in preliminary round Group B.
World Cup preparation match in Herisau (SUI)
Aug 11.04.2026, 16 | 30:XNUMX p.m. | Switzerland - Germany
Statistics are available at: https://www.sihf.ch/de/game-center/game/#/20269355000023
Voice on the World Cup preparations
U18 national coach Andreas Becherer“We’re starting our World Championship preparations in Füssen with a largely established roster. Continuity was important to us, even though we still want to get a clearer picture of a few positions before making final decisions. In the first phase of preparation, our focus is primarily on quickly reintegrating the players into our structures and principles after their time with their clubs. It’s crucial that we clearly bring our playing identity back onto the ice and reaffirm what defines us as a team and makes us strong. The match against Switzerland will primarily serve to implement our own game plan and gather further valuable insights. Afterwards, we will analyze these and work specifically on the areas that will further advance us towards the World Championship.”