Eisbären start the new DEL season: “We are not defending a championship, we are earning it again”

“Everything is new, except for our goals and our main sponsor,” joked a cheerful managing director Thomas Bothstede. In addition to a new digital ticket system, which recently upset supporters, he was primarily referring to the newly filled key positions.

This is particularly true for coach Éric Dubois, who will celebrate his DEL debut as head coach of the Eisbären against the Straubing Tigers on Thursday (7.30 p.m., Magentasport). The 56-year-old Canadian, who was assistant coach in Ingolstadt last season, noticed that he still had to get used to such events. Serge Aubin had sat on this podium seven times before.

The “new start” category also includes the fact that the champions are relying on a completely new goalkeeper duo. Dubois still left it open whether Jack LaFontaine or Jonas Neffin will be in goal in the first DEL game.

The pressure is on the others

These changes on the one hand and the play-off dominance in recent years form the tension. Although the last championship will be comprehensively acknowledged at the banner ceremony on Thursday, the Eisbären are consciously emphasizing the departure. Sports director Stéphane Richer refers to a saying that can be found in the dressing room: “We are not defending a championship, we are earning it again.”

Managing director Bothstede says about the starting situation: “If you become champions five times in six years, then you almost expect that you will be champions again. That is the expectation from outside.” And yes, no one in the club would mind if the Eisbären were the first DEL team to win four times in a row.

“But I think, especially with all the innovations, we can start the season without the huge pressure. I am firmly convinced that this year there are completely different people who have really stepped up their game,” says Bothstede.

Apparently the competition sees it that way too. In a master survey conducted by the German Press Agency before the start of the season, only one coach, Straubing’s Craig Woodcroft, is explicitly betting on the polar bears. The Tigers have regularly had bad experiences in the play-offs with the Berliners in recent years.

However, the majority name the Adler Mannheim, who have strengthened themselves with former Berlin goalkeeper Jake Hildebrand, ex-NHL striker Patrick Brown and the 2018 Olympic silver winner Brooks Macek. The Cologne Sharks with ex-polar bear Marcel Noebels also appear to be well coordinated in the Champions Hockey League so far.

Khodorenko and Bergmann are still missing for a long time

As a result of last season, the Eisbären have to do without Kai Wissmann at the start. The defender was suspended for three games after a check in the third final game against Mannheim, but only served two of them because the series ended after five games. That’s why he has to watch again at the start of the season.

Two players, Patrick Khodorenko and Lean Bergmann, suffered serious knee injuries last season. It is currently unclear when they will be able to take part again. For a successful season, it will also be important to stay healthy and compensate for failures in the event of setbacks as well as possible.

“Last season, when we played with Ingolstadt in Berlin, I was incredibly impressed by this team,” said coach Dubois to the Tagesspiegel. “Berlin had a lot of injuries and had to do without Patrick Khodorenko in the first third due to injury. Nevertheless, we lost 3-0, although I had the feeling that we were the better team that evening. Here I understood why Berlin is so successful.”

Accordingly, he is happy to now be behind the polar bear gang. And to ensure that the spark spreads from the players to the fans again. The club sold 6,500 season tickets until advance sales were stopped. This shows how great the anticipation is for the new season.