Thursday, 29. January 2026 |
Olympics 2026: The roadmap for Munich's DEB players
With Mathias Niederberger, Fabio Wagner and Tobias Rieder, three professionals from EHC Red Bull Munich are part of the official DEB squad for the upcoming Winter Olympics. The ice hockey tournament starts on February 11 - the final game will take place on February 22, the last day of the prestigious event.
Ehliz and Kastner take part in the Olympic camp
However, there is still a lot to do before then. And not just for the aforementioned trio - two more Munich players, Yasin Ehliz and Maximilian Kastner, will be traveling to Milan. The two will support the team of national coach Harold Kreis in preparation for the Winter Games.
Background: Although the NHL is on break this season for the first time in twelve years, the North American legionnaires will not travel to Milan until after February 6. Veit Oswald, who was also called up to the Olympic camp by Kreis, had to cancel his participation at short notice due to injury (lower body).
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Test match against Italy on February 4
The official dressing of our five club representatives took place on January 12 in Munich. This was followed by a major press conference, also in Munich, at which Wagner spoke last week about his goals and the anticipation of his time in the Olympic Village.
Next on the agenda for all five is a trip to Italy. The first stop will be the Olympic camp in Bolzano. There, the team will prepare for the Winter Games. The official meeting of all DEB players - with the exception of the NHL pros - is on January 31. In the days that follow, the team will get together, line-ups will be tested and team spirit will be conjured up.
The first and only rehearsal before the actual tournament is on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:30 pm in the "Sparkasse Arena" in Bolzano. There, the German national team will face Italy. Shortly after the endurance test, the DEB team will travel on to Milan.
Goalie Saves von Mathias Niederberger | PENNY DEL-Saison 2025/26
// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS
Opening ceremony and start of the group stage
On February 6, the official opening ceremony of this year's Winter Games will take place at the legendary Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. Better known as "San Siro", this is where the two world-class clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan usually play their home soccer matches. Kastner and Ehliz will also be there before the duo return to Munich.
The tournament kicks off for Germany on February 12. The first group stage game will be against Denmark at 21:20 in the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. It continues on February 14 (12:10 p.m.) against Latvia - the last group stage game is on February 15 against title co-favorite USA (9:10 p.m.).
How the ice hockey tournament in Milan works
The nations are divided into three different groups with four countries per group. The best four teams in the preliminary round, i.e. the three group winners and the best runner-up, automatically qualify for the quarter-finals.
The remaining eight teams play an advanced qualifying round. The winners complete the quarter-finals, while the tournament is over for the four losers. The knockout system then continues. The final will take place on February 22.
Olympics in Milan: A small homecoming for Mathias Niederberger// NATIONAL TEAM
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Rieder on the Olympics: “I want to enjoy it to the fullest and perform well.”// NATIONAL TEAM
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