Helsinki (AFP) – Germany’s national ice hockey team is full of anticipation and reflection on Olympic revenge in their World Cup opener against Canada.
“The tournament is a good opportunity for us to prove our willingness to make adjustments,” said international striker Marcel Knoebbels of German champions Zberen Berlin in Helsinki. On Friday, national coach Toni Soderholm’s selection against defending champions Canada begins in Finland (7.20pm / Sport1 / MagentaSport).
“Of course the motivation is great,” said Corbinian Holzer, a former NHL professional. “There are other teams on the ice now, but we know how the Olympics started. We will be warned.” The 1:5 match against Canada in the first game at the Winter Games in Beijing in February was the start of the first brutal setback in time with national coach Söderholm. Then the German Ice Hockey Federation was disappointed by exclusion before the quarter-finals, after the Olympic tournament started with golden ambitions.
“I think we learned a lot from that and we have to give 110 per cent in every tournament and we have to be there from the start in every game,” Holzer said. “Definitely the start of the tournament should be better than it was at the Olympics,” said defender Adler Mannheim. At the 2021 World Championships in Riga, a 3-1 victory was the first World Cup victory on ice hockey grounds in 25 years. Canada was crowned world champion after three defeats last year.
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