Ice Hockey World Championship with Niederberger, Ehliz and Kastner

Thursday, 09. May 2024 | Ice Hockey World Championship with Niederberger, Ehliz and Kastner

Kastner ahead of the World Championship: ‘Want to win every game’Niederberger, Ehliz and Kastner start the 2024 World Championship// NATIONAL TEAMThe DEB team starts the Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic on Friday. The opening game is against Slovakia at 16:20 in Ostrava. Three of our lads are also taking part.

The team of national coach Harold Kreis goes into the tournament as reigning runners-up. While goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger and forward Maxi Kastner were already part of last year's sensational silver medal coup in Riga and Tampere, attacker Yasin Ehliz was missing at the time due to a lower-body injury.

The Red Bulls' trio are already looking forward to the tournament. "The mood in the team is very good so far," says Kastner in advance. "The preparation didn't go as well as we had imagined in terms of results. But we've shown that we have quality and a very good character in the team again," says our number 93 confidently.

From underdogs to runners-up

As a reminder, the DEB team got off to a difficult start at the last World Championships, but then got into the tournament better and better thanks to their team spirit. It was only in the final that Canada stopped the run and won 5:2. Kastner himself contributed a total of two goals and three assists to the silver medal.

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The goals are also big this year. "We want to win every game and get as far as possible. But we're looking from game to game," the attacker makes clear. "And we also know that we're going into the games as runners-up and are no longer the underdog in many games." In any case, Kastner and his team-mates want to reach at least the quarter-finals. And from then on, anything is possible again anyway.

Difficult World Championship opener against Slovakia

To do so, the DEB team must finish in one of the top four places in Group B. In seven group games, the two top nations from the USA and Sweden await, as well as Slovakia, Latvia, Poland, France and Kazakhstan. A win in the first duel with Slovakia would be important.

"It feels like a home game for them. The stadium will probably be sold out. But we want to turn the atmosphere into energy and get off to a good start," says Kastner, looking ahead to the opener. Incidentally, the game will be played in the "Ostravar Arena", which holds around 10,000 spectators.

Bringing in experience and strength in duels

At 31, the four-time German champion with Red Bull Munich is already one of the seasoned cracks in the squad. "I try to use my experience to help the young players. And especially in defensive work, I want to show my skills and also be unpleasant for the opposition," says Kastner, describing his role.

It will be a good three months before we see the Garmisch-Partenkirchen native back on the ice in his (then brand new) Munich jersey. As part of the Red Bulls Salute 2024 in Zell am See-Kaprun, our boys will face the Växjö Lakers from Sweden in the first game of the 2024/25 season on August 16 (4 p.m.).

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The DEB team's games at a glance:

Slovakia vs. Germany | May 10 | 4:20 pm

USA vs. Germany | May 11 | 8:20 p.m.

Germany vs. Sweden | May 13 | 8:20 p.m.

Germany vs. Latvia | May 15 | 4:20 p.m.

Germany vs. Kazakhstan | May 17 | 4:20 p.m.

Germany vs. Poland | May 18 | 16:20

France vs. Germany | May 21 | 12:20 p.m.