The former striker of Sparta Gross, who has lived in Germany since 1990 and owns citizenship there, had a contract in Mannheim for the following seasons. However, Vaz was broken by losses in the last three matches, after which Adler dropped to fifth place in the table. The fact that Mannheim already has some direct progress to the quarterfinals of the playoffs did not help him either. Assistant Mike Pellegrims, who has been Gross’s assistant since 2018, also left with him.
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“We are in the phase of the season when the playoffs are approaching and the team should be on its way to playing its best hockey. Unfortunately, the trend is the opposite. That’s why we came to the conclusion that the team needs a new impetus, a breath of fresh air in the final sprint, “says club boss Daniel Hopp.
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Gross won the title in his first season at Mannheim, a year later his team was in second place when the coronavirus pandemic ended the year. Last year, Adler finished in the semifinals with Wolfsburg.
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Mannheim will be taken over by 64-year-old Canadian Bill Stewart, who won the title with him in 2001. He will be assisted by former German representatives Marcel Goce and Jochen Hecht.
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