Müller’s farewell with a championship title? – Sharks start as favorites

“I said that it would most likely be my last year. That hasn’t changed for now,” said Müller, who could easily still have another season at this level in the tank.

Most recently at the Olympics, the model athlete amazed once again. As a long-time national team captain, he was suddenly no longer one of the three captains shortly before the Winter Games. Probably for marketing reasons, the national coach Harold Kreis and DEB sports director Christian Künast, who were now criticized after the unsatisfactory tournament, made the three NHL world-class players Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider the leading trio. “Of course you can now say in hindsight: perhaps you could have handled things a little differently,” Künast admitted afterwards.

Müller was one of the bright spots at the Olympics

For Müller, the controversial decision before the Olympics was already a sign that the NHL world stars probably wouldn’t get too much ice time when they were on display. Apparently Kreis no longer really believed that the oldest German participant in Milan could play a more important role. At least Kreis corrected this mistake during the tournament. “He used his time well, was very present, left a very good impression, not only on the coaching staff, but also on the team,” Kreis said later. In the end, Müller was the second-best German defender at the Olympics alongside NHL star Seider.

It’s not just the national team that would be missing something at the World Cup and in the long run if they actually resigned after the season. Also the sharks. Müller never played for another club in the men’s division. Since the 2003/2004 season he has been on the ice in well over 1,000 games for his favorite club in the DEL. He never became a master.

That should finally change this year. Even before the final main round weekend it is clear that Cologne will start the playoffs as first in the table and will therefore have home advantage in a possible seventh game until the end. “The chances are good,” said Müller. “But it starts all over again, you don’t take any points with you.” Whatever you say to keep the tension high.

Finnish star coach trimmed the Sharks into title contenders

Things are looking really good for the Sharks this year. In recent years, the eight-time German champion has tried a lot to make sensible use of the generous financial support from controversial investor Frank Gotthardt – operator of the right-wing conservative media platform Nius. This often didn’t work. Only the signing of top Finnish coach Kari Jalonen in 2024 was the missing piece in the mosaic. Müller also found fun and enthusiasm again after the unsatisfactory years under head coach Uwe Krupp. The top European coach also influenced the appropriate player signings and made the Sharks much more tactically flexible.

Last year the Sharks were pitifully inferior to the Polar Bears in the final series. This year the squad depth should be right. Despite two defeats on the last two matchdays – including a 0-1 loss against the Eisbären – the Rhinelanders marched confidently through the main round. For Jalonen, the decisive factor is the “team spirit in the dressing room; there is a great atmosphere there.”

The 66-year-old Finn will return home after the season. He’s not the only one who wants to say goodbye to the title. If the Haie actually become German champions again for the first time in 24 years at the end of April or beginning of May, many expect Müller to resign immediately.