The Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB) held a press conference today at the SAP Garden in Munich André Rankel as new head coach of the German national ice hockey team introduced. The 41-year-old, who most recently served as assistant coach and development coach at the Eisbären Berlin He who was previously active in the field now assumes sporting responsibility for the men's team.
The process for filling the national coach position was initiated by DEB The process was conducted thoroughly and in several steps. In addition to the board of directors, the following were involved: DEB Peter John Lee, in his capacity as sporting advisor to the men's national team, was involved in the selection process. Additionally, the association's sports commission, consisting of Karl-Heinz Fliegauf (Wolfsburg) and Stefan Ustorf (Nuremberg), provided expert guidance. At the end of an intensive selection process, in which various candidate profiles were examined, all parties involved unanimously agreed on André Rankel. The supervisory board of the DEB was informed of the personnel decision by the board and gave his approval by unanimous vote.
André Rankel has been given a four-year contract and will begin his work as national coach on September 1, 2026. DEB expressly thanks the Eisbären Berlin for the release of André Rankel.
Voices of the DEB-responsible parties and the new national coach
André Rankel, Head Coach of the Men's National Team"It is a great honor to be able to lead our national team as head coach. What I learned as a player and captain over all these years, what constitutes team cohesion and commitment, I now want to pass on as head coach. My goal is to develop a clear idea together with the players and the coaching staff of how we want to play, and to grow step by step based on that. Through my time as assistant coach at the..." Eisbären Berlin My perspective on what makes a successful team has broadened. I now want to bring this understanding to my new role. I look forward to the responsibility and to working with a team for which I myself played with such pride for so long.
Frank H. Lutz, Chairman of the Board of Directors DEB“We made this personnel decision with great care, consciously involving all relevant stakeholders in German ice hockey. Our own impression of André Rankel, as well as the feedback from the sports commission and our sports consultant, was clear, leading us as the board to a decisive decision. For us as…” DEB This appointment is of particular importance, as the home World Championship next May represents an extraordinary event for German ice hockey. But beyond that, our new national coach will also be an important component of the strategy…DEB “2034”. We are delighted to be embarking on these great tasks together with André Rankel as national coach.”
Christian Künast, Sports Director of the DEB: "André Rankel has proven over many years as a player what leadership means in German ice hockey – as captain, as a role model, as someone the team trusts. That's precisely what qualifies him for this role. Especially as a player, but also as part of the coaching staff of..." Eisbären Berlin He helped shape a successful period. Furthermore, he... DEB and is already familiar with our structures from his time as U18 national coach. In our discussions, he impressed us with his ideas and clarity. At this point, I would also like to thank Peter John Lee, Karl-Heinz Fliegauf, and Stefan Ustorf for their productive and professional collaboration throughout the entire selection process. Especially with the home World Championship in mind, it is important for us to have planning certainty now and to work together on a clear sporting strategy. We are firmly convinced that we can implement a shared vision for our national team with André.”
André Rankel's career path
André Rankel played as a striker for 17 years for the Eisbären Berlinincluding eight years as captain. During this time, he won seven DEL championships, as well as one German Ice Hockey Cup and one European Trophy each. With 247 goals, he is the club's all-time leading scorer. In 2011, he was voted the most valuable player of the playoffs.
Rankel played for all of the Young Talent national teams of the DEB He played for the German national youth teams from U16 to U20 and earned 76 caps for the men's national team, representing them at seven World Championships. In 2010, he was part of the German squad that competed in the Vancouver Winter Olympics. He ended his successful playing career in 2020.
Since 2023, Rankel has worked as an assistant trainer and development coach at the Eisbären Berlin and supported the development of young talent as well as scouting. In the same year, he also took on the role of honorary head coach of the German U18 national team and led the team back to the top division of the World Championship. In 2024, he was also at Deutschland Cup Rankel was deployed as assistant to national coach Harold Kreis for the defensive and penalty kill work of the men's national team. He also served as assistant coach for the... Eisbären Berlin He celebrated further successes: During this time he won three more titles with the club.