National Ice Hockey Team
National coach circle: DEB not left for a club
Promises continuity: Harold Kreis. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
His two predecessors left the German Ice Hockey Federation despite ongoing contracts to advance their own careers. The DEB does not have to fear this from the new national coach.
The new national coach Harold Kreis has promised the German Ice Hockey Federation continuity at least until 2026 after two involuntary losses of his predecessors.
“I can guarantee that I will not leave the association to return to a club. There is no opt-out clause for me,” said the 64-year-old Kreis in a Magentasport interview.
Kreis’ predecessors Marco Sturm and Toni Söderholm had recently left DEB despite ongoing contracts. Sturm (44) switched to the North American NHL as an assistant coach in 2018. His successor Söderholm (44) joined SC Bern after the Germany Cup in November. Trainer-veteran Kreis now explained that he no longer has any great ambitions outside of the association: “For me, this is a really great task in the winter of my career. An important, responsible task.”
Kreis is currently still the coach of the Schwenninger Wild Wings and will switch to the DEB after the end of the Black Forest club’s season in the German Ice Hockey League. According to Kreis, the fact that the Wild Wings may still be tied in the playoffs during the preparation for the World Cup (May 12 to 28) in Tampere and Riga and that he will not have time to get used to the squad beforehand is “not critical” according to Kreis. . The potential national players can be observed on every DEL game day. Kreis also admitted: “The curve of getting to know each other is very, very short. The circumstances are what they are.”