The World Cup Begins With The Premiere In German Ice Hockey!
For the first time since Friday, the German men’s team in Finland will have an assistant coach on the ice: Canadian Jessica Campbell (29) will assist national coach Tony Soderholm (44).
To get things started, our team meets on Friday (at 7.20 pm, Sport1 and build live ticker) against his home country in Helsinki of all places, record world champion Canada.
Soderholm: “I don’t care if there’s a man or woman behind the gang. It’s hockey’s decision. I chose his qualities as a person, coach, communicator, and work ethic.”
What are his duties?
Soderholm: “Jessica will coach our team’s manpower game and also train surplus players. She will help us.”
Campbell was a national player and won a silver medal at the 2015 World Cup. Over the summer she works with professionals from the US NHL League as a technique and power skating trainer.
Campbell next to national coach Soderholm (left) in the international match (3:1) against Austria in SchwenningenPhoto: JohaPress / Joachim Haene
Campbell described his dealings with players at Bild as follows: “I will never say or try to convey anything that I haven’t experienced in ice hockey myself. I try to communicate as clearly and simply as possible. I try. It keeps you grounded and I think players feel that way. They know that no matter what I say, it’s that they succeed.”
Campbell is in the genes of ice hockey!
She says: “I grew up on a farm in Canada with three older siblings who started before me. I started skating as soon as I could walk. Since I spent a lot of time at the ice rink with my family, that was the way to go. I loved and still love to be on ice. ,
Former national player Stefan Ustorf (48), sporting director of the DEL-Club Nuremberg Ice Tigers, joined him in German ice hockey in March. She already had a short time as an assistant coach last season.
Forward Jessica Campbell played among others. For the Calgary Inferno and most recently the Malmö Redhawks (photo)Photo: ImageoImages/BuildByron
Ustorf to BILD: “Players want to have coaches around them who can make them better. And Jessica can make that happen. Her strength lies in communication. She’s great at explaining how players should see things.” “
Campbell: “At Nuremberg I proved to myself that I could work as an assistant coach on the men’s team, perhaps as a coach at some point.”
Their playing philosophy: Do not hammer the puck into the opposing third as in the old North American ice hockey tradition, but move the puck into the attacking third. So she wants to reach the World Championship medal with our team.
