Wednesday, 11. February 2026 |
The Red Bulls in Milan: DEB team kicks off against Denmark
In keeping with this, the “Henry” in the SAP Garden will become a fan zone. Both the game against Denmark and the second preliminary round game against Latvia (February 14 | 12:10 p.m.) will be shown live in our arena's restaurant.
There will be a special offer to go with the live broadcasts: all 0.5-liter beers will be available for only €3.90 – valid from the opening face-off until the final buzzer.
So come on down and cheer on Team Germany with goalie Mathias Niederberger, defenseman Fabio Wagner, and forward Tobias Rieder!
Wagner alongside NHL star Seider?
In any case, our guys are ready for this prestigious winter sports event. The anticipation is great, the focus is clear. First and foremost, they are fully focused on the duel with the Danes. “We're taking it one game at a time and preparing ourselves fully for the first game against Denmark,” reports Tobias Rieder.
In training sessions at the beginning of the week, Rieder played alongside Alexander Ehl (Adler Mannheim) and Nico Sturm (Minnesota Wild, NHL) in one line, while defender Wagner formed a defensive pairing with NHL defender Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings). Of course, it remains to be seen what the final lineups will look like. Incidentally, Dominik Kahun (Lausanne HC) and JJ Peterka (Utah Mammoth, NHL), two other well-known faces with a Munich past, are also part of the DEB team's lineup.
The captain of Team Germany is NHL star Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), with Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators, NHL) and Seider as his two assistants.
Team Denmark: familiar names from the PENNY DEL
A win against Denmark in the opening game would lay the foundation for a successful tournament. It won't be easy, as every country is represented by its best possible players. “You can't underestimate anyone,” said Rieder, adding, “Every team is here with its absolute top squad, so it's going to be very interesting. We'll just have to see how it turns out,” said our forward.
Denmark also has several NHL players at its disposal. These include goalkeeper Frederik Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers (both Carolina Hurricanes). In addition, six players from the PENNY DEL are in head coach Mikael Gath's squad: Nicholas B. Jensen and Phillip Bruggisser play defense for the Pinguins Bremerhaven, Matias Lassen for the Iserlohn Roosters.
The current third-best scorer in the PENNY DEL also wears the “Danish Dynamite” jersey. Patrick Russell has already collected 55 points this season for league leaders Kölner Haie. Also in the squad is teammate Frederik Storm, while the sixth professional from the German ice hockey top flight is the physical Christian Wejse (also Bremerhaven).
Team Latvia: Pure international experience
The Latvian squad includes numerous stars who have a wealth of experience from top leagues and major international tournaments. Among others, national coach Harijs Vitolins has five current NHL professionals at his disposal.
Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Arturs Silovs (Pittsburgh Penguins) are two NHL goalies in the squad, with Kristers Gudlevskis from the Pinguins Bremerhaven in the PENNY DEL completing the trio. The 33-year-old was recently named “Goalie of the Year” in Germany twice. The top defenseman is Uvis Balinskis, who won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2025 and is a regular member of the Sunshine State team.
The best-known name in the offense is probably Kaspars Daugavins, who led his country as flag bearer at the opening ceremony and is participating for the fourth time overall. The former NHL player is currently under contract with the Kassel Huskies in Germany's DEL2 league. Teddy Blueger (Vancouver Canucks) and Zemgus Girgensons (Tampa Bay Lightning) are joining the team directly from the NHL.
Team USA: Gold medal is the goal
US head coach Mike Sullivan has a top-class squad at his disposal. Without exception, all players are active in the NHL, and the team brings a tremendous amount of skill, physicality, and experience to the table. In short, with this spectacular mix, the USA is one of the absolute title contenders alongside Team Canada.
Either Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) or Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) are likely to be in goal, with Hellebuyck having already won the Vezina Trophy three times as the NHL's best goalkeeper. The third member of the trio is Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins).
The defense also reads like an all-star selection. Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild) is one of the strongest defenders around, and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets) is also outstanding offensively. On the other hand, Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) and Noah Hanifin of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, for example, are considered excellent two-way defenders.
In attack, the two world-class goal scorers Auston Matthews (captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, three-time NHL top scorer) and Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres) are among the biggest names even in the world's strongest league, as are the brothers Matthew Tkachuk (two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers) and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators). Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning) has also won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, as has playmaker Jack Eichel (Las Vegas Golden Knights).
DEB games in the preliminary round (Group C):
February 12, 2026 | 9:10 p.m. | Germany vs. Denmark (live at Henry)
February 14, 2026 | 12:10 p.m. | Germany – Latvia (live at Henry)
February 15, 2026 | 9:10 p.m. | USA – Germany
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“10 years as German champions”: The Red Bulls' third jersey
Team USA: Goldmedaille ist das Ziel
US-Headcoach Mike Sullivan hat einen Kader der Extraklasse zur Verfügung. Ausnahmslos alle Spieler sind in der NHL aktiv, die Mannschaft bringt enorm viel Skill, Physis und Erfahrung mit. Kurz: Mit diesem spektakulären Mix zählt die USA neben Team Kanada zu den absoluten Titelanwärtern.
Im Tor dürften entweder Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) oder Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) stehen, Hellebuyck wurde bereits dreimal mit der Vezina Trophy als bester Keeper der NHL ausgezeichnet. Dritter im Bunde ist Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins).
Auch die Abwehr liest sich wie eine Allstar-Auswahl. Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild) zählt zu den spielstärksten Verteidigern überhaupt, auch Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets) ist offensiv herausragend gut. Dagegen gelten beispielsweise Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) oder Noah Hanifin von den Las Vegas Golden Knights als exzellente Zwei-Wege-Verteidiger.
Im Angriff gehören die zwei Weltklasse-Torjäger Auston Matthews (Kapitän der Toronto Maple Leafs, dreimal bester Torschütze der NHL) oder Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres) selbst in der stärksten Liga der Welt zu den größten Namen, gleiches trifft auf das Brüderpaar Matthew Tkachuk (zweifacher Stanley-Cup-Sieger mit den Florida Panthers) und Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) zu. Auch Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning) gewann mit den Pittsburgh Penguins bereits den Stanley Cup genauso wie Spielmacher Jack Eichel (Las Vegas Golden Knights).
DEB-Spiele in der Vorrunde (Gruppe C):
12.02.2026 | 21:10 Uhr | Deutschland – Dänemark (live im Henry)
14.02.2026 | 12:10 Uhr | Deutschland – Lettland (live im Henry)
15.02.2026 | 21:10 Uhr | USA – Deutschland
Training begins: Red Bulls return from Italy, Japan, and elsewhere// CURRENT
The Red Bulls in Milan: Between training camp and opening ceremony// NATIONAL TEAM
DEB games against Denmark and Latvia live at Henry's// FANS