“From Ugly Duck to Swan”

Four years ago, the ice hockey team of Germany celebrated silver in a sensational way. Gotta sleep this time. Why it’s not a gargantuan goal despite the famous competition.

The dressing room looks like it did it again in 2018, and Germany’s ice hockey rifts have focused on medals in their WhatsApp groups even before the start of the Olympic tournament.

Only four years after the silver coup in Pyeongchang, this time Beijing should be gold. “Olympics 2022. But with a lot of gold medals in it,” reports striker Marcel Nobles, titled this year’s WhatsApp group, which aims to show players the way. In 2018 the group was called “Mission Gold” – not really meant to be taken seriously at the time.

Silver was a sensation four years ago and this year will be the biggest surprise. “We have earned this position,” says captain Moritz Müller, who was already in South Korea, like Nobles and eight other players on the German team.

“For me, it’s a new journey, a new path. It’s a start all over again,” says Muller, who is repeatedly reminded of Olympic silver in 2018 when he walks into the dressing room in Beijing. As before, the team’s slogan “Faith, Desire, Passion” hangs on the wall of the cabin.

“From the ugly duckling to the little swan”

Müller explains the new self-image in German ice hockey at Sport Bild: “For decades we were plagued by complexes. We were ugly ducklings and didn’t want to lose too much from the big guys. Now we’re small goose.”

“It really feels similar to 2018 in terms of the team,” said attacker David Wolf. in the preliminary round against Canada (Here Go to live ticker), against hosts China on Saturday (9.40 pm) and against the United States on Sunday (2.10 pm), the spirit that reached the Olympic finals four years ago and the World Cup semi-finals last year should now emerge.

Germany is well coordinated – the competition is not

“The journey is not over yet,” said Marco Sturm, the then national coach at Eurosport, looking ahead to silver and the tournament in Beijing: “The team still has many experienced players from 2018. You have to have that advantage now like Canada and the USA. Useful against mixed teams. We are already one of the favorites in our group.”

Cheering Without Limits: German ice hockey stars celebrate entering the final at the 2018 Olympics after a sensational victory against record-breaking Olympic champions Canada. (Source: Laki Perenyi/Imago Images)

Indeed, winning the preliminary round for the fourth World Cup in 2021 and thus qualifying directly to the quarterfinals is a realistic option. At first, however, record Olympic champion Canada would be out to avenge the German “Game of the Century” in the 2018 Olympic semi-finals, when Germany partially performed the ice hockey homeland on 4:3. Germany won last year’s World Cup in Riga 3-1 against a Canadian team consisting almost exclusively of NHL players. “Outside expectations are definitely a win. And we expect the same,” said Captain Mueller.

NHL stars missing from top teams

Like four years ago, Germany should benefit from the absence of the world’s best players from the NHL. North Americans in particular are especially hard again. In Beijing, the United States is playing almost exclusively with college players, as the league is not taking a break and many games canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic are now being held during the Olympics. “We can be too optimistic,” said national coach Tony Soderholm. “People are ready to take the next step to achieve something bigger.”

Under the 43-year-old Finn, the German team has also become even stronger in terms of play in recent years and has one of the expanding circle of favorites as fifth in the world rankings. Unlike other top nations, even without their own NHL stars, the German team is well rehearsed.

Finn Tony Soderholm (back) took over as national coach from Marco Sturm in January 2019. (Source: Action Pictures / Imago Images)

“It’s a great team here”

“There’s a lot of guys out of the World Cup and a lot more from 2018. They know how to win and how to play successfully,” said longtime NHL defenseman Corbinian Holzer and two-time Stanley Cup winner Tom Kuhnhackel. When you look at the last World Cup and what happened four years ago. We have a great team here.”

All this leaves Mueller and his teammates dreaming of repeating the Silver Sensation. Muller says: “We have that special magic again.” This doesn’t make the chances of winning a medal again the worst.

Here you can watch all the video highlights of the Winter Games in Beijing.