For the German national ice hockey players Maksymilian Szuber and Wojciech Stachowiak, the World Cup game against Poland will not be a game like any other.
“It will be very emotional,” said Stachowiak. Both were born in Poland, both still have family there and both had to get some tickets for the match in the afternoon (4.20 p.m./ProSieben and MagentaSport) in Ostrava, Czech Republic. “It will be something very special,” announced Szuber.
For the 21-year-old, the ice hockey runner-up’s sixth group game will be a long-awaited reunion. The defenseman made his NHL debut this year for the Arizona Coyotes and otherwise played for the Tucson Roadrunners in the second division AHL. He hasn’t seen his parents or grandma for almost a whole year. His cousin didn’t even for around two years. “My entire family will be there,” he explained. For the most part, they will be sitting in the stands wearing Germany jerseys. The only thing he isn’t sure about is his cousin. “Let’s take a look,” said the defender.
Stachowiak was born in Gdańsk on the Polish Baltic Sea. He grew up there until he was eleven. He has been scoring goals for Ingolstadt since 2020. He impressed with four assists in the 8-2 win over Kazakhstan. “I won’t prepare any differently tomorrow,” said Stachowiak.
He was able to get seven tickets for his family. Unlike Szuber, his entire family will be cheering him on in the arena wearing jerseys from Stachowiak’s DEL club ERC Ingolstadt.
