Monday, 26. January 2026 |
Olympics in Milan: A small homecoming for Mathias Niederberger
After several weeks out with injury, Mathias returned to the Red Bulls' goal in time for the Winter Olympics. National coach Harold Kreis had had his eye on the Munich goalie, who has been a mainstay of the DEB team for years, for some time. Especially after his convincing performances at the Deutschland Cup in November.
“We were already in contact before that,” says Niederberger. “Harold was very happy with my performance at the Deutschland Cup and wanted to make sure that I would be fit again in time and still get some playing practice.”
Due to his long-standing role in the national team – including seven World Championship appearances – and his performances in the national jersey, the goalkeeper felt he had a good chance of making the squad.
Niederberger featured in ARD documentary
The fact that the national coach always had our number 35 in his sights is also clear from the new ARD documentary “POWERPLAY – THE BEST ICE HOCKEY TEAM FOR THE OLYMPICS.” Niederberger already plays a leading role in the documentary, representing the goalies in the DEB team. You can watch the documentary in the ARD media library here.
It's now official: Mathias is part of the German Ice Hockey Federation's squad for the Winter Olympics in Milan.
Five Munich players in Bolzano – Oswald cancels Olympic camp
The national team will meet on January 31 and then travel to the training camp in Bolzano. In addition to Niederberger, our defender Fabio Wagner and forward Tobias Rieder will also be there. The trio are integral members of the Olympic squad.
Also in Bolzano: Maximilian Kastner and Yasin Ehliz. The two forwards will strengthen the team at the Olympic camp before the stars from the NHL join the team. For the first time since 2014, the world's best ice hockey league is also taking a break for the prestigious sporting event. Veit Oswald unfortunately had to cancel his participation in the camp due to a lower body injury.
Immediately afterwards, the DEB team will continue on to Milan. The tournament will take place from February 12 to 22. The German team will first face Denmark on February 12.
For Mathias, however, the focus will be on the DEL game against Schwenningen (February 27 | 7:30 p.m.) until then. He doesn't want to hear anything about special Olympic preparations: “I'm basically doing everything as usual. The routine remains the same – I just want to enjoy the tournament to the fullest.”
Goalie Saves von Mathias Niederberger | PENNY DEL-Saison 2025/26
// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS
Italian roots: Milan becomes a family project
What makes these Games so special for Niederberger is his family connection to the region. His mother is Italian and comes from Legnano, a town in the province of Milan. She was born and raised there, and parts of the family still live in the area.
“Of course I'll be seeing my family there,” reveals our goalkeeper. “They're coming to cheer us on – that makes the Olympic Games in Milan even more special for me.”
The goalie already knows Milan very well: “I've been to Milan and the surrounding area many times. It's a beautiful city with the cathedral as its highlight and many neighborhoods where you just love to spend time.” He is therefore looking forward to giving some of his teammates a little insight into “his” Italy later on.
The Olympics as a stage for the best
“The Olympics are simply something very special,” he says. “This global attention—almost everyone knows about the Olympic Games and has had some contact with them at some point. Representing your own country at such a tournament is something that cannot be taken for granted.”
Life in the Olympic Village also appeals to the Munich goalkeeper: “I'm looking forward to meeting athletes from other disciplines and getting into conversation with them.” He doesn't have any specific names in mind, but he is fascinated by other disciplines: “I admire many other sports and enjoy watching them.”
Milan, ice sports, and a special tournament atmosphere
If the schedule allows, Niederberger would like to immerse himself in the Olympic atmosphere a little, in addition to his own tournament—preferably in the context of ice sports: “Another ice hockey game would of course be interesting. But short track or ice dancing could also be exciting.”
He is not losing sight of his focus, however: the main focus is on the performance of the German national team – and thus also on the contribution that our goalie can make between the posts.
For EHC Red Bull München, Mathias Niederberger's participation in the Olympics is a special honor – and for Mathias himself, it is a combination of a sporting highlight and an emotional return to his family's homeland. Milano Cortina 2026 will be more than just a tournament for him: it will be an Olympic chapter that feels like a little piece of home.
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