National coach Tony Söderholm and his coaching team made the final personnel decision and named the squad of the German national ice hockey team for the IIHF World Cup 2021 in Riga (21 May to 6 June).

The German Ice Hockey Federation team will travel to Latvia with 24 players on Saturday and will join three other professional teams from North America. With charter flights from the NHL, Tobias Ridder (Buffalo Sabers), Lean Bergman (San Jose Sharks) and Leon Gavanke (Manitoba Moose / AHL) will travel directly to the World Cup venue and expand the DEB line-up to 27 players. This means that DEB coach Söderholm still has room for a possible successor.

The Landshoot rider will play for the national team for the first time since the 2017 domestic World Cup. Bergman and Gavanke were part of the DEB selection in the Germany Cup in November 2020, before moving to North America and finishing their season there. Gavanke, whose NHL rights are held by the Winnipeg Jets, played a few games at DEL for Isabren Berlin before returning overseas. In total, the German team will initially consist of three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 15 strikers. It is possible to switch from a World Cup game to a World Cup game with a full 27-strong squad.

After arriving on Saturday, the players and support staff move into a three-day personal separation at the team hotel. Only then is initial ice training possible in Arena Riga. There are three negative PCR tests per player and staff member from May 10 to enter Latvia, further tests are done in quarantine. On 21 May (3:15 pm / Sport1), the German team will start this special World Cup against Italy. The next day is a duel with Norway (11.15 am / Sport 1), the third World Cup rival Canada two days later (7.15 pm / Sport 1).

National Coach Tony Soderholm: “These personnel decisions were not an easy and good job for me personally. Many players have improved incredibly in two or three weeks and have come here with incredible passion and made the World Cup one of their own.” Seen as a big target. Then it’s hard to tell them that they can’t come, but that’s part of my job. The professionals in North America will once again bring special elements to our game, which we hope will benefit us. Will. Everyone is waiting now to see what is waiting and happy, you can see and feel that there was already discussion in the cabins. Have been successful in this. If now the whole group comes together, the training will have more energy, more speed. We need three units in Riga before we start. Mentally we will definitely play “Now we have to make sure that we are in good physical condition.”

Christian Kunast, Director of DEB Sports: “I know from experience how difficult it is for a coach to make such a final decision. I also know how much Tony thought before making this election. I am confident that our coaching team will send the best team in the tournament. “

World Cup Team:

Goalkeepers: Felix Brookman (Adler Mannheim), Mathias Niederberger (Isbern Berlin), Niklas Truttle (Nuremberg Ice Tigers).

Defenders: Dominic Bitner (Gryllis Wolfsburg), Marcel Brandt (Straubing Tigers), Leon Gavanke (Manitoba Moose, AHL), Corbinian Holzer (automobilist Yekaterinburg, KHL), Jonas Muller (Isberren Berlin), Moritz Müller (Kölncker) . (Düsseldorf EG), Moritz Cedar (Rogal BK, SHL), Fabio Wagner (ERC Ingolstadt).

Forward: Marcus Eisenschmid, Nicholas Kramer, Stephen Loible, Matthias Plakta (All Adler Mannheim), Marcel Noebels, Leonhard Pföderl, Lucas Reichel (All Isberen Berlin), Maximilian Kustner, JJ Peterka (both EHC Red Bull Munich), Lean Bergman (San ) Jose Shark, NHL), Andreas Eder (Straubing Tigers), Daniel Fishbuch (Düsseldorf EG), Tom Kuhnhackel (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL), Tobias Rieder (Buffalo Sabers, NHL), Frederick Tiffles (Colener is).