The heartland of German ice hockey is looking forward to its remarkable premiere. From Friday (7.30 p.m. / MagentSport) EHC Red Bull Munich and ERC Ingolstadt will be playing for the championship.
There has never been a purely Bavarian final series since the introduction of the playoffs in 1980/1981, although the Bavarian teams had dominated the championship table well into the 1980s. “It’s going to be a top series,” exulted Munich’s national striker Maximilian Kastner before the duel between the two best main round teams in the German Ice Hockey League.
After the brilliant 7-2 win in the decisive semi-final against Wolfsburg, the top favorite from Munich is starting its sixth series of finals in the past eight years with a tailwind. The first championship since 2018 should finally jump out for the team of coach Don Jackson. With his ninth German championship title, the now 66-year-old US coach could switch to a higher role in the Red Bull empire. There have been rumors of a generational change in the gang for some time. According to reports, former national coach Toni Söderholm (44) could return to his former club.
EHC with a longer break
Even if the EHC won all four games against Ingolstadt in the main round, the Jackson team faces an immense challenge in the best-of-seven series, in which four wins are needed to win the title. The runner-up in the main round presented himself as strong as a bear and very variable in the previous playoffs. In addition, the team coached by DEL Coach of the Year Mark French was able to regenerate for a little longer. The ERC already made it into the final on Easter Monday against Adler Mannheim. “It’s definitely an advantage for us that we have a bit of a break after this strenuous semi-final series and the boys can recharge their batteries,” French told the “Donaukurier”.
The psychologist from Canada is about to make a big splash in his DEL premiere season. With an astonishing wealth of variants and communication praised by the players, he led the 2014 DEL champion to the best main round in the club’s history. In the playoff semi-final against Mannheim, the ERC also compensated for the absence of regular keeper Michael Garteig, who was injured in the quarter-final against Düsseldorf.
Strong as a bear empire
The substitute keeper Kevin Reich, who was shaken by a private stroke of fate in December, led the Schanzer to the first final since 2015 with a tremendous performance. “It’s a great story that we’re in the final. I just enjoy the games now and want to win with the boys “said the 27-year-old, who also has to take care of his paralyzed brother. At the beginning of December, he broke his neck twice in a fall.
EHC coach Jackson may still have some work to do before Friday evening to prepare his team for Ingolstadt. Because in the heat of the semi-final triumph over Wolfsburg, his striker Kastner amazed MagentaSport on Wednesday with the statement that Ingolstadt was playing “similar to Wolfsburg”. In view of the rather simple and poisonous style of Lower Saxony, this was more like an insult to Ingolstadt’s varied and playfully and tactically demanding game.
