The German German Ice Hockey Federation (Eis-Bund eV)DEB) The club support services are being restructured effective July 1, 2026. This will be achieved by consolidating services under the umbrella of... DEB The processes for club support staff will be shortened, synergies will be used more efficiently, and support for clubs will be further intensified. In the future, support will be provided regardless of league affiliation and based on regional responsibilities.
The realignment was preceded by an intensive coordination process between the representatives of the PENNY DEL, the DEL2, some Association for the Promotion of German Ice Hockey Young Talents eV and the DEB A regional care concept was developed jointly, and its gradual implementation began in autumn 2025. The new structure will now come fully into effect on July 1, 2026.
A key advantage of the reorganization lies in the regional structure. Club liaisons will be able to visit their assigned clubs with significantly less travel. This should increase the number of on-site meetings. Smaller clubs, in particular, will benefit from more intensive and regular support.
Additional staff for club support
To implement the new structure, the club support team has been expanded. New additions include: Julia Zorn, former captain of the women's national team and most recently full-time coach in Miesbach, Danny Pyka, who spent many years in the Young Talent division of Eisbären Berlin was active, as well as the former state coach Nordrhein-Westfalens, Anja StrohmengerThe team is complemented by Markus Gleich, who has been responsible for the support of the DEL2 clubs for several years, as well as Uli Liebsch, who played a key role in developing the star program and continues to contribute his many years of experience to the club's development. On behalf of the DEB leads Florian Ondruschka he continued his work as head coach for talent and club support.
Florian Ondruschka and Uli Liebsch will jointly assume professional management and coordination of club support services. Initial handovers and training sessions have already taken place in recent weeks. A joint kick-off meeting for all club support staff will follow in July. The focus of this meeting will include the planned further development of the criteria catalog for the star rating program starting in the 2027/2028 season.
Uli Liebsch, DEB-Coach and coordinator for talent and club support: “With the launch of the new regional club support program, we are setting an important milestone in the further development of German Young Talent ice hockey. After intensive preparation, we are delighted to now implement this forward-looking concept together with our clubs. Our aim is to provide even closer support to the clubs, strengthen direct communication, and assist them with the diverse challenges of developing young talent. Through best-practice examples and coach-the-coach initiatives, we intend to take a significant step forward in terms of content. We will also provide comprehensive support to the clubs in implementing the 5-Star Program, which will soon be restructured. We have assembled a competent and motivated team and look forward to the tasks ahead.”
Florian Ondruschka, DEB-Head coach for talent and club support: "With the new structure, we are creating the conditions to provide our clubs with even more individualized and close support. The regional division ensures shorter distances and frees up more time for the actual work within the clubs. At the same time, we have strengthened our team with experienced individuals who bring diverse skills and valuable perspectives. Now it's a matter of putting the new structures into practice and continuously developing our collaboration. I am convinced that this will make an important contribution to the sustainable development of our clubs and German ice hockey as a whole."