Ice Hockey World Cup: Hungarian help is missing – Germany misses quarter-finals

The team from the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) won 6:3 against promoted and relegated Great Britain in its last group game at the World Cup in Switzerland on Monday evening, as well as against Austria and Hungary (both 6:2). These victories, so that no one misunderstands anything, are nice, but this World Cup was “not a complete waste of time”: “But they shouldn’t be our benchmark,” said Seider. The aim must be a place among the best eight teams in the world, “that is absolutely possible”. At least “I believe we all have that right.”

You can’t be so sure anymore when you heard DEB sports director Christian Künast on Monday, who considers a place “between seven and twelve” in the world rankings to be realistic. In any case, “there would have been a lot more,” said Seider. But because there was a “big down” at the start of the tournament – ​​after the annoying 1:3 against “beatable” Finns, he was referring above all to the 0:2 defeat against Latvia and the 3:4 against the USA after a 3:2 lead until shortly before the end – “you are now standing there and shaking”.

Theoretically, qualification for the quarter-finals was still possible if the Hungarians beat the Latvians in regular time. The head, said Seider, was “just barely sticking out” of the hole they had dug for themselves. But it was also clear to the head that this World Cup could no longer be saved. “I don’t know if it would be deserved either. You have to be that honest.”

Then they didn’t have to shake for too long. On Tuesday afternoon in Zurich, the Latvians easily beat the Hungarians 8-1 and moved past Germany in the Group A table, which meant that it was already clear before the final group game between defending champions USA and Austria: Germany will miss the quarter-finals of this World Cup, just like in 2025.

DEB sports director Künast fends off questions about the future of national coach Kreis: “I won’t answer them.”

If you add the Olympic Games in Milan in February, where the team with all NHL professionals around Leon Draisaitl made it to the quarterfinals and took sixth place, but afterwards there was talk of a “big disappointment” from the team, then there are now three unsatisfactory tournaments in a row on the CV of national coach Harold Kreis. In Zurich, the 67-year-old’s decisions and demeanor did not always seem confident. The former national player celebrated the World Cup silver medal on his debut with the team three years ago.

A year before the home World Cup, voices are now being heard demanding information about Kreis’ future. The DEB extended his contract early in December until 2027. Sports director Künast fended off questions about this on Monday: “I won’t answer that,” he said, as long as he hasn’t analyzed the World Cup together with Kreis. That will only happen after the tournament, which lasts until Sunday. For the German national team, however, the World Cup ended on Tuesday.