Those responsible at the Kölner Haie have been busy during the summer break so far. Uwe Krupp (58) has put together a squad that gives hope. And the fans are running hot.
The demand for tickets is currently higher than ever at the KEC! On July 1, 2023, 20,000 tickets for the first two games of the season had already been sold – nobody knows yet who the game will be against at the start of the season (from September 14).
Kölner Haie: Schedule coming on July 3, 2023
The KEC has already sold over 5,000 season tickets. In addition, there are 5,000 so-called blind date cards. The special offer is valid until the DEL schedule is published (Monday, July 3, 10 a.m.): Fans can watch the first two home games live in the Lanxess Arena for ten euros each. The sharks say: “The fans are running into us!”
At the start of the season, the World Championship heroes of the Haie will also be celebrated, such as captain and silver medalist Moritz Müller (36). He is enthusiastic about the euphoria in the city: “I’m currently on vacation in Mallorca and I’m resting a bit after the intense past few months. When I was last in Cologne, I was often approached on the street – of course it was all about the World Cup, but also about the sharks. I think the city is really looking forward to the new season.”
Müller hopes that the euphoria will transfer to the ice, the players are already full of anticipation: “It’s no different with us guys. The average number of viewers last year was outstanding, let’s see what’s going on in the coming season. I have never experienced that around 10,000 tickets were sold for both home games at the start of the season in such a short time. But it’s nice: I’m always learning something new too!”
National player Justin Schütz (23, comes to Cologne from RB Munich) is motivated by the fan boom surrounding the Haie in preparation: “We already have a training group here in Cologne with a lot of guys and we’re really looking forward to the start. When I hear that we’ve already sold around 10,000 tickets for the first two home games, I’d like to start straight away.”
The current Haie squad for the 2023/2024 season:
Tor: Tobias Ancicka, Niklas Lunemann, Mirko Pantkowski, and Leon WillerscheidDefense: Brady Austin, Nick Bailen, Stanislav Dietz, Maximilian Glötzl, Moritz Müller, Jan Luca Sennhenn, Edwin TropmannSturm: Louis-Marc Aubry, Jason Bast, Håkon Hänelt, Maximilian Kammerer, Elias Lindner, Gregor MacLeod, David McIntyre, Kevin Niedenz, Mark Olver, Carter Proft, Justin Schütz, Frederik Storm, Andreas Thuresson, Robin Van Calster
There is also good news behind the scenes. Like the other 13 DEL clubs, the Haie have received the license. That also means that there has to be a new rental agreement with the Lanxess Arena, because proof of a home arena is required for the license.
Recently there had been problems because the arena was not or would not have been available for the Haie on some match days due to numerous catch-up concerts. Exact contract details are not yet known, but according to reports, the cooperation is to be continued in the long term.
Click here for the survey on the Cologne sharks:
However, it remains to be seen whether the Haie will have to move to another hall (Krefeld) in the playoffs in the future. The details of the schedule are still being worked out.
In any case, DEL boss Gernot Tripcke is satisfied: “It is a very good sign that we are granting the license to all clubs. I would like to thank everyone responsible for the good work that has been done in the last few weeks. It is a positive signal for the stability of the entire game that all clubs are starting the new season without hesitation.”
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