DEL final: Goalkeeper Maximilian Franzreb is a “ten out of ten” – and soon the German number one? – Sports

ZThere are plenty of studies on the career indecision of many young people; the term “generation without orientation” has recently been making the rounds in the media. Maximilian Franzreb is the exact opposite – he knew what he would become when he was on the ice for the first time at the age of three. “There was no alternative, I always wanted to be a goalkeeper,” recalls the Adler Mannheim professional. His father Markus, who played more than 200 games as an ice hockey goalkeeper in the second, third and fourth German leagues, and he “had a deal” that he first had to learn to skate and understand the game. “I did that for almost two years,” says the junior. “After that I stood in the goal.”

Franzreb is now 29 years old – and will start his first final in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) on Friday – for the Adler it is the first since winning the title in 2019. The Mannheimers open the best-of-seven series with a home game against the Eisbären Berlin, who have won four of the last five championship titles. Franzreb goes into the final as one of the most important players in the prominent Mannheim squad. “Max was the difference in the semifinals,” said Adler coach Dallas Eakins after the 4-1 series win over EHC Red Bull Munich. On the goalkeeper scale he is a “ten out of ten”, and as a teammate he is even better. “We are very grateful to have him.” Mannheim captain Marc Michaelis described Franzreb as an “incredible goalkeeper” and national striker Justin Schütz as “our life insurance”.

For Franzeb, the final against the Eisbären comes full circle. In Berlin he got his chance in the DEL as a 20-year-old and learned a lot from the experienced Finnish world champion Petri Vehanen. But in the capital he also felt the other side: the difficulties of asserting himself in the long term as a talented German goalkeeper in the DEL, especially at a top club. He only played 25 games in four seasons for the Eisbären. “The constant commuting between Weißwasser (DEL2 cooperation partner of the Eisbären, editor’s note) and Berlin, the lack of match practice – all of that took some of the fun out of me,” said Franzreb. He found the fun again in Bad Tölz in the second league, and from Bayern he returned to Bremerhaven in the DEL in 2021 – and established himself there.

But when he moved to Mannheim last summer, a new chapter began for him: Since then, he has been the goalkeeper of a team for which only the title counts. A goalie who is under a lot of pressure to succeed. He did this in the main round, in which he had the second-best catch rate of all DEL goalkeepers and helped so much that the Eagles scored a strong 103 points and took second place. In the playoffs he improved again. “You just have to trust your instincts,” said Franzreb during the semifinal series against Munich. And: Everyone knows that as a goalkeeper you “have to get going at the right time”. That’s exactly what the 29-year-old did in the current playoffs. Nevertheless, Mannheim coach Eakins says Franzreb is “still underestimated”.

Learning from the world champion: Petri Vehanen was his competitor in Berlin – he is now his goalkeeping coach in Mannheim

His Olympic debut also helped him at this stage of the season. Although things didn’t go as planned for the German national team in Milan, Franzreb celebrated his debut in the group phase against eventual winners USA. Despite the 5-1 defeat, “for me personally it was a very intense and good game that I will remember positively,” he said afterwards. The Olympic experience helped him further: “You play against opponents that you otherwise only know from TV or consoles.” His club coach Eakins spoke of a “great experience for him”.

Franzreb also benefited from NHL goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer, the German number one, at the Olympics. “Working with a goalkeeper like that is extremely valuable,” he emphasized – and particularly praised Grubauer’s calm and composure. Franzreb exudes both in the playoffs. And because both Grubauer and Munich’s Mathias Niederberger are injured, Franzreb could go to the World Cup for the first time as German number one in May. But: one thing at a time.

Grubauer is not the first strong goalkeeper Franzreb has learned from. When he moved from Hamburg to the Eisbären, Petri Vehanen, who led Finland to World Cup gold in 2011, was there. The Finn influenced him the most, said Franzreb when he moved to Mannheim. “Despite his advanced age, he still had that certain tension back then that he needed to get the most out of himself. That made a lasting impression on me.” Today their connection is even stronger than in the Eisbären days, because Vehanen is now Franzreb’s goalkeeper coach in Mannheim. Both know: Franzreb will have to give his best every evening against the Eisbären, who are experienced in finals.