Tim Stützle Joins Germany's Ice Hockey Squad Late for World Championship
Germany imposes stipulations for the World Cup hosting
Hey there, sports fans! The German ice hockey team is off to a flying start at the World Championship, currently underway in Sweden and Denmark. But, star NHL player Tim Stützle won't be joining the action just yet.
The team, led by coach Harold Kreis, started their campaign with a 6:1 win over Hungary on Sunday, without Stützle. Dominik Kahun, Joshua Samanski, Lukas Kalble, Frederik Tiffels, and Alexander Ehl scored the goals for the DEB team in front of over 6,000 spectators in Herning, Denmark. This victory marked the seventh win for Germany against Hungary in eight World Championship matches[3].
Kazakhstan, the team's second opponent, will face them on Sunday (16:20 / ProSieven and MagentaSport), following their victory against Norway in the opening game.
Stützle, a top scorer for the team, is on his way, but he won't be available until Tuesday, when Germany faces Norway due to clearance issues with his club, the Ottawa Senators. The wait has been testing, admits DEB sports director Christian Künast, but it couldn't be helped[4].
For Stützle, this is his second World Championship. His participation was hindered by a knee injury in 2022 and a club veto due to a shoulder injury last year[5].
In the goal, coach Kreis gave NHL goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer his first appearance. Mathias Niederberger is expected to take over for the second game, 24 hours later. The coach has emphasized that Grubauer and Niederberger are both number-one goalies for him[6].
Despite having two early power play opportunities, the DEB team struggled in the beginning, with passing precision lacking, due to the poor ice quality and some initial nerves. Lukas Reichel's precise pass set up Samanski for the opening goal, followed by more goals from Kalble, Tiffels, and later Ehl and Kahun[7].
Stay tuned as the action unfolds at the IIHF World Championship!
- Ice Hockey
- NHL
- World Championships
[1] Stützle joins Germany late for World Championship: ntv.de
[2] Germany's games in Denmark: ntv.de
[3] Germany's past wins against Hungary: ntv.de
[4] Tim Stützle clears to play: ntv.de
[5] Tim Stützle's past injuries: ntv.de
[6] Two number-one goalies: ntv.de
[7] DEB team's goals scored: ntv.de
- Despite his absence in the initial games, NHL star Tim Stützle will eventually join the German ice hockey squad for the World Championships.
- Due to clearance issues with his club, the Ottawa Senators, Tim Stützle won't be available until Tuesday, when Germany faces Norway.
- In the absence of Stützle, NHL goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer was given his first appearance in the World Championships.
- Despite some initial struggles with passing precision due to poor ice quality and first-game nerves, the German ice hockey team was able to secure a victory against Hungary in their first game at the World Championships, with goals scored by Dominik Kahun, Joshua Samanski, Lukas Kalble, Frederik Tiffels, and Alexander Ehl.
