Deutscher Eishockey-Bund and Harold Kreis go their separate ways.

Harold Kreis took over as national coach on March 15, 2023. In his very first match, the 67-year-old led the national team to a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships, thus securing direct qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics. At the 2024 World Championships, the DEBThe team reached the quarterfinals; this goal was narrowly missed in both 2025 and 2026. At the 2026 Olympic Games, the team advanced to the quarterfinals. In addition, there were the men's successes at the Deutschland Cup 2023 and 2025.

Christian Künast, Sports Director of the DEB“We reached this decision after an intensive analysis and have presented our findings to the DEBThe supervisory board presented its decision and shared our view. Our collaboration with Harold was always characterized by trust, openness, and mutual respect – and on a personal level, it was outstanding throughout. Therefore, this decision was not easy for us. At the same time, we see that the men's national team's development has stagnated recently, and this overall assessment of their sporting performance ultimately led to our decision. Harold Kreis has dedicated himself to the national team with great commitment and has made significant contributions to German ice hockey – most notably winning the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. However, we are firmly convinced that a new impetus is now needed.

Harold Circle“The past three years with the national team have been a special time, which I look back on with great gratitude. The silver medal win in 2023 and the shared experiences with the team will remain cherished memories. I thank the staff at the federation, the coaching staff, the men's national team staff, and above all, the players for their trust and cooperation. I wish the federation and the team all the best for the challenges ahead.”