EC Bad Nauheim travel to Freiburg on Tuesday after a weekend without games. In addition to Harry Lange, the young players have also returned to the spa town from their national tournaments.
(Like this). The ice hockey pros of EC Bad Nauheim used the short breather in the busy DEL 2 schedule to clear their head a bit. It was different for coach Harry Lange and one or the other grant-licensed player. The young guard had to prove himself in various tournaments for DEB juniors, while the Austrian EC coach acted as an assistant to Roger Bader in “Team Austria” at the German Cup in Krefeld. Back at the Wetterau, it’s time to focus on the next task. This is Tuesday (19:30) at EHC Freiburg.
No job market – Lange actually wanted to use the international break to relax with his family. About 14 days before the German Cup, however, Bader’s request arrived. And so the 38-year-old spent a long weekend in Krefeld as one of three assistant coaches of the Austrians, who finished second behind the hosts.
“It was a great experience. You meet a lot of players and a lot of people who have something to say in hockey. You exchange ideas with them. But that shouldn’t be overestimated either. It wasn’t a job fair in Krefeld,” Lange said, looking back at its not so normal weekend.
Youth in Action – With forwards Kevin Niedenz and Robin van Calster and goalkeeper Rihards Babulis, three Red Devils players competed in the U20 Four Nations Tournament in Monthey, Switzerland. “The boys are in a good mood and are back with vigor,” Lange said at least of the U20 duo who travel to Freiburg today. Edwin Tropmann, who played his first professional game shortly after EC defender Kevin Schmidt’s injury, was in Füssen with the U18 national team and, together with his teammates, held the upper hand in the three-way tournament against Denmark and Slovakia.
(Almost) all aboard – Like Niedenz and Babulis, Tropmann is also part of Wetterau’s lineup on Tuesday in the Black Forest. According to Lange, Van Calster and Pascal Steck are needed at cooperation partner Kölner Haie. “The only thing that has changed in the squad since the match against Dresden is the arrival of Edwin Tropmann.” With the exception of Schmidt, no EC professionals are injured. On Monday afternoon the EC coach couldn’t say how long it will take for the German-Canadian. «There are still checks to be done in the next two or three days, then we will know more. But he is making progress,” Lange indicated.
Immo in top form – Wolves and the Red Devils have had nothing to do with each other this season. Coach Robert Hoffmann’s team has had a moderate season so far and is in ninth place. With Tor Immo from Sweden, Shawn O’Donnell from Canada and the Czech Martin Reway, only three contingent positions are occupied by Freiburg. So South Germans could still improve on this.
New signing Immo is in superb form, leading the league’s scoring charts with twelve goals and beaten only by Tyson McLellan (Landshut) in the scoring charts (25). “He is one of the best foreigners in the league,” warns Lange. However, the following also applies: “It is not always clear how to return to league operations after such a disruption.”
