One yr in the past, the Germans have been getting ready to an enormous disappointment, when the crew threw away a two-goal lead within the third interval of the relegation recreation in opposition to Crew Norway. Nevertheless, they got here out sturdy within the third interval, finally profitable the sport with a tally by Moritz Elias – at his first and solely aim of the event – to seal a win that may allowed Germany to make a sixth-consecutive look within the prime division in thee 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) in Ottawa.
Associated: 2025 World Junior Championship Information
This yr’s roster will characteristic a number of youthful gamers, in addition to NHL skills and gamers who can have an opportunity to get chosen subsequent yr. Under is a projected roster for the Germans as they appear to enhance their efficiency in Ottawa after a disappointing exhibiting final yr.
Crew Germany’s Forwards
| Lenny Boos (Düsseldorf/Essen) |
*Linus Brandl (Straubing/Landshut) |
Timo Kose (Regensburg) |
| David Lewandowski (Saskatoon/CAN) |
Nick Maul (München/Kaufbeuren) |
Marco Münzenberger (Köln) |
| Elias Pul (Weiden) |
Timo Ruckdäschel (Wolfsburg) |
Clemens Sager (Kassel/Hamm) |
| Noah Samanski (Powell/CAN) |
Maxim Schäfer (Eisbären Berlin) |
Tobias Schwarz (Straubing/Landshut) |
| Simon Seidl (Straubing/Landshut) |
*Julius Sumpf (Moncton/CAN) |
Paul Vinzens (Crimson Bull Hockey Juniors/München) |
*signifies returning skater*
Solely two forwards are returning, Linus Brandl and Julius Sumpf. Heart Brandl posted no factors final yr, whereas Sumpf, who traces up for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL,) was one of many prime scorers final yr.
Two attention-grabbing gamers who may make the roster are Timo Kose and Simon Seidl. Each underagers, with Kose being born in 2007 and Seidl in 2006, they’re having a powerful exhibiting within the DEL-2 this season, and their offensive aptitude is anticipated to play a job when the crew will want a spur of unpredictability within the offensive zone. Internationally, Seidl was superb for Crew Germany on the Division 1 U18s a few years in the past.
Nevertheless, a lot of the hope forward might be on David Lewandowski. The 2025 draft-eligible participant has fourteen factors, equally distributed between targets and assists, in nineteen video games for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL.) Lewandowski is the son of a notable participant in Germany and Russia, Eduard Lewandowski, and isn’t the one participant of this roster coming from a hockey dynasty. Noah Samanski, who performs for the Powell River Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League after beginning the season with the Wenatchee Wild of the WHL, is the son of John, who even performed for Crew Canada again in 1984.
Nevertheless, Linus Boos can brace a grandfather, Wolfgang Boos, who has already represented Crew Germany on the worldwide scene, so far as the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, whereas his father Tino Boos had much more success and represented Germany not solely on the Olympics and the World Championship, but in addition on the 1996 WJC in Massachusetts.
Crew Germany’s Defensemen
| Carlos Händel (Halifax/CAN) |
Max Hense (Köln/Duisburg) |
Rio Kaiser (Eisbären Berlin/Weißwasser) |
| Kilian Kühnhauser (Rosenheim/Peiting) |
*Paul Mayer (Mannheim/Heilbronn) |
*Lua Niehus (Frankfurt/Dangerous Nauheim) |
| *Norwin Panocha (Inexperienced Bay/USA) |
Edwin Tropmann (Köln/Dangerous Nauheim) |
*signifies returning skater*
On protection, the Germans appear to be on a greater place. The defensive corps can largely boast good measurement and bodily presence, and the crew might be most probably compelled to spend so much of time within the defensive third anyhow, so they are going to attempt to get benefit from the scale of most of the prime defensemen.
Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Norwin Panocha might be one of many most-waited defensemen within the roster, returning after final yr’s event. After being drafted within the seventh spherical of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Panocha frolicked within the QMJHL and WHL earlier than touchdown to the Inexperienced Bay Gamblers of the USA Hockey League.
Two different attention-grabbing choices on the blue line are QMJHL defenseman Carlos Handel and massive physique Rio Kaiser. Handel has an attention-grabbing eleven factors in 26 video games with the Halifax Mooseheads, whereas Kaiser – a 6-foot-7, 207-pound colossus – is logging large minutes within the DEL 2 with the Lausitzer Fuchse, with the occasional recreation with the Eisbaren Berlin of the top-flight German league, the DEL.
One other participant to comply with is Paul Mayer (6-foot-3, 187 kilos), one other Crew Germany name up whose father represented the nation on the worldwide stage. Blood traces are undoubtedly sturdy on this yr’s roster for the Germans. Lua Niehus and Edwin Tropmann are additionally rising gamers, however they could wrestle bodily, in a different way from a lot of the different blueliners within the roster.
Crew Germany’s Goalies
| Leon Hümer (Düsseldorf/Essen) | *Nico Pertuch (Ingolstadt/Ravensburg) | Linus Vieillard (Eisbären Berlin) |
*signifies returning goalie*
Goalies could also be an issue this yr for the Germans. A lot of the hints point out that Pertuch will get the starter place, with Vieillard as backup, and Humer because the third-string goalie. Pertuch was on the WJC final yr, however by no means really hit the ice for Crew Germany.
Germany Combating to Keep away from Relegation
At this level, something above the relegation recreation might be a hit for the Germans, whose roster doesn’t appear on par with different neighbouring nations and will wrestle in aim and in offense. Particularly, the nation appear to have declined after a powerful 2021 exhibiting with gamers like Tim Stutzle and JJ Peterka. Nevertheless, taking part in a good protection and hoping for some good performs by the highest traces, the Germans could shock a crew or two, and maybe hope for one thing extra.
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