Bratislava (AP) — Leon Dreistel’s father Peter relied on the German ice hockey team to stage another coup at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February.
“Of course Canada and Russia are the big favourites, they always have been and they probably always will be, but I think a German national ice hockey team can do anything in a big tournament these days,” the former international told a “Spox”. ” Interview. “Anything is possible in a small tournament.”
Germany surprisingly won silver in Pyeongchang in 2018 under national coach Marco Sturm when there were no NHL players. The boom in German ice hockey continued under Sturm’s successor, Tony Soderholm. The selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) moved to fourth place at the last World Cup. “There is no team that plays as self-sacrificing as the Germans, we have seen over the years,” praised Driestel, who has served as a coach since his playing career.
The 56-year-old himself featured in three Olympic Games for Germany and became famous with his esteemed penny against Canada in the 1992 Olympic quarterfinals, when the puck remained on the goal line. His son Leon Dresitl (26) of the Edmonton Oilers is currently one of the best strikers in the world and could compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing for the first time. NHL professionals will return to the Olympics in Beijing for the first time since 2014 if the North American professional league does not withdraw by January 10 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211217-99-419796/2
