German Hockey Squad, Stützle Missing Bond as World Cup Kicks Off
Germany lays out prerequisites for hosting the World Cup
Hop on board, hockey fans! The ice is ready, the pucks are out, and Germany's hockey powerhouse kicks off the World Cup without their top scorer, NHL phenom Tim Stützle. With the Danish and Swedish crowds cheering, the DEB squad takes on Kazakhstan on Sunday, leaving Stützle to watch from the sidelines.
Coach Harold Kreis' team cruised through their first match against Hungary, leading 6-1, and demonstrated their championship potential. Dominik Kahun, a newcomer to the World Cup and playing with Straubing, scored twice, while Lukas Kalble, Frederik Tiffels, Joshua Samanski, and Alexander Ehl added their name to the scoresheet. The empty seats held just 6,184 spectators as they witnessed a dominant German win, marking the eighth victory for the DEB team against Hungary in their World Cup history.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan squeaked out a 2-1 victory against Norway in their opening bout on Sunday, giving the German squad a formidable challenge ahead.
Clearance Granted for Stützle
Just 20 hours before the first face-off, Canada finally passed the go-ahead for Stützle, who has been eagerly awaiting his World Cup debut. With Ottawa Senators clearance in hand, Stützle is set to arrive in Herning on Sunday and join his teammates for training on Monday. DEB sports director Christian Künast was relieved as he declared, "We had to be patient, but it's finally resolved."
While this will be Stützle's second World Cup, a knee injury cut his 2022 participation short, and club concerns over a shoulder injury prevented him from playing last year. This time around, he'll be determined to make his mark on the ice.
Grubauer Makes Debut Between the Pipes
With Stützle's arrival still pending, Coach Kreis entrusted the starting goalie position to NHL goalie Philipp Grubauer. Mathias Niederberger, expected to replace Grubauer in the second game, takes on the title of backup number-one goalie. As for Berlin's World Cup debutant Eric Mik and his clubmate Manuel Wiederer, along with third goaltender Arno Tiefensee, their participation in the tournament remains undecided.
In the face of the underdog, the team struggled to find their footing, grappling with a slippery ice surface that affected their precision in passing. The first goal, a surprise gift when the puck landed fortuitously for Justin Schütz, set the stage for the remainder of the game. Lukas Reichel's precise pass to Samanski widened the German lead, and the team steadied their nerves.
Mistakes found their way into the second period, testing Grubauer's reflexes as Yasin Ehliz scored on a power play, but the goal was called off for goaltender interference. Kalble finished a swift counterattack, and Tiffels scored the prettiest goal of the game, pushing the score to 4-0. Ehl and Kahun added the final tally in the third period as Germany stamped their dominance on the tournament.
Sources: ntv.de, lme/sid
- Ice Hockey
- NHL
- World Championships
Despite being cleared by Ottawa Senators 20 hours before the first face-off, NHL phenom Tim Stützle will still be arriving late for the ongoing ice hockey World Championships with Germany's hockey powerhouse, as he will not join his teammates until Monday for training. Meanwhile, the world-stage debut of NHL goalie Philipp Grubauer will be underway, filling the void left by Stützle as the team aims to defend their title.
