Just three weeks before the start of the U20 World Cup in Canada, national coach Tobias Abstrater has named a 27-strong squad to prepare for the World Cup.

The tournament will run from Sunday, December 26, 2021 through Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at Rogers Place (Group A) and WP Centrium (Group B) in Edmonton and Red Deer. On Monday, December 13, the DEB selection will meet at the Federal Training Center in Füssen to prepare for the climax of the game.

The U20 team will complete two training sessions at the Allgu before flying to Edmonton on 15 December. Here the team undergoes a two-day quarantine before continuing with the final preparations for the U20 World Cup. Live on Magenta-Sport on 26 December local time (8pm CET), the German U20 team will begin the IIHF U20 World Cup with a game against Finland. In the course ahead of Preliminary Group A, the DEB youth will face the Czech Republic (27 December), Canada (29 December) and Austria (31 December).

John-Jason Pieterka (Rochester American) and Lucas Reichl (Rockford IceHogs) do not join the U20 national team after consultation with the DEB. Both strikers are currently confident with strong performances in the AHL and are looking forward to making the leap to the NHL. Luka Munzenberger (University of Vermont), who was drafted in the third round by the 90th-placed Edmonton Oilers, will join the DEB selection after arriving in Canada.

U20 national coach Toby Abstrater: “We’ve built a good team. One-third of the team has already had the experience of the last World Cup, which will be very important for us. In addition to the ten training sessions in Edmonton, we will also have the opportunity to play two Test matches against Russia and Switzerland before the tournament starts against Finland on Boxing Day.

DEB’s sporting director Kristian Kunst said, “We are confident we will send a strong team in the race to the U20 World Cup. The tournament is one of the most important in Canada, ice hockey’s home country, and is once again a top one with top international players.” We look forward to the challenges ahead in Edmonton and are proud to open the tournament against Finland.

DEB Squad:

Goalkeeper: Florian Bugle (Red Bull Hockey Juniors), Niklas Lunemann (Kölner Hai / EC Bad Nauheim), Nikita Kwap (Krefeld Pinguin), Arno Tiffens (Adler Mannheim / Heilbroner Falcons).

Defender: Justus Bautner (Black Dragons Erfurt), Arkadiusz Dizambor (Adler Mannheim / Heilbroner Falken), Corbinian Gebel (Laussizer Fuchsey), Maximilian Glotzl (Kölner High / EC Bad Nauheim), Adrian Klein (Straubing Tigers / EV Landschenberg), Luka M. of Vermont), Fabrizio Pilu (Nuremberg Ice Tigers), Tim Szemsky (Ravensburg Towerstars), Maximilian Schubert (EHC Red Bull Munich).

Striker: Alexander Blanc (Krefeld Pinguin), Jakob Borzecki (EC Red Bull Salzburg), Yannick Burghardt (ESV Kaufberen), Noah Dunham (Adler Mannheim / Heilbroner Falcons), Josef Ehm (Red Bull Hockey Juniors), Florian Elias (Adler Mannheim), Thomas Heigl (EHC Red Bull Munich), Danzo Leonhardt (EC Red Bull Salzburg), Jussie Petersen (Dresdner Isloven), Bennett Rosmi (Eisberen Berlin / Lausizer Fuchsey), Maciej Rutkowski (Krefeld Penguins), Joshua Samansky (Straubing Tigers), Marcus Schweiger (ESV Kaufbeuren), Justin Volek (Krefeld Pinguin).