Germany comes close to victory against the USA

Four games, four defeats: Nevertheless, the German national ice hockey team still has a chance of reaching the World Championship quarter-finals.

20 May 2026

From: dpa/det

Despite a 3-4 penalty shootout loss to world champions USA in Zurich, the team coached by Harold Kreis secured their first point at the World Championship. With three wins in their remaining group matches against Hungary on Friday (4:20 pm), Austria, and Great Britain, they remain in contention for the knockout stage.

Forward Daniel Fischbuch will likely be unavailable for the game. The Iserlohn Roosters forward had to leave the ice early with a suspected broken hand. Adding insult to injury, a regulation-time victory was thwarted by Pittsburgh's Tommy Novak's illegal equalizer (55th minute). National coach Kreis once again declined to review the play, a right he had. The game was ultimately decided in a penalty shootout, with the favorites emerging victorious.

Moritz Seider (2nd minute), Frederik Tiffels (30th) and Marc Michaelis (33rd) scored against the Olympic champion, who in Switzerland is competing with a completely different team, but was still favored against the DEB team, in regular playing time.

Matthew Tkachuk as a big star in the USA

Olympic champion Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers made his debut for the US men's team. However, a reunion with Germany's superstar Leon Draisaitl didn't happen due to the Cologne native's withdrawal from the World Championships. The 28-year-old Tkachuk had clashed with Draisaitl on the ice at the 2026 Olympics, taunting the German during their 1-5 loss to the USA.