Ivo
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Ivo Jaschick Reports from Germany
Former
NHLer Uwe Krupp New Head Coach Of Team Germany
Will lead German Squad to Olympics in Torino, Italy; First test at All-Star Game
by Ivo Jaschick
February
7, 2006 -- German hockey fans were astonished when national coach Greg
Poss quit his job with
Team Germany.
Poss was hired by the Mannheim Adler, who subsequently released former
NHLer Stephane Richer, who had been unsuccessful as coach.
The question for a new coach was not very difficult. There already was a very famous German by the name of UWE KRUPP working as an assistant for the German Hockey Union.
Krupp lept at the opportunity and took over as head coach, and will lead the national squad to Torino this month.
There are 7 NHL players representing Germany at the 2006 Olympics:
1. Olaf Kolzig – Washington Caps
2. Dennis Seidenberg – Philadelphia Flyers
3. Christof Schubert – Ottawa Senators
4. Marcel Goc & 5. Christian Ehrhoff – San Jose Sharks
6. Marco Sturm – Boston Bruins
7. Jochen Hecht – Buffalo Sabres.
In addition, Yannic Seidenberg stars for the club {see earlier Hockeytalk article} (Seidenberg's brother Dennis plays for the NHL's Coyotes)
Uwe Krupp was born in Cologne, Germany, on June 24, 1965. He fell in love with the game at an early age and he became a defenseman.
He played for every youth team sponsored by the Cologne Sharks and was selected to many youth national teams. At the age of 17, Uwe made his first game in the best league in Germany, the so called Bundesliga and directly became a hit.
In 1983, he was drafted by then-GM and coach Scotty Bowman's Buffalo Sabres (round 11, #214 overall).
In 1986 the rising star left Cologne, joining the Sabres' organization with the AHL's Rochester Americans.
His goal: The Stanley Cup.
It took him 10 years and three teams (Buffalo, NY Islanders & Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche) to reach this goal. Krupp scored the decisive and memorable goal in the Colorado's 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers to sweep the series and give the Colorado/Quebec franchise its first Cup.
The giant defenseman had a dalliance with immortality, becoming the first German ever to see his name engraved on the world's most famous trophy.
“This was the most important goal I ever scored!” Krupp says of the goal, which he scored at 4:31 of the 3rd overtime in a legendary playoff final.
But then he signed with Detroit, suffered a career ending back injury (which ended unceremoniously after a dispute with the Red Wings). Krupp tried to come back but finally had to stop his active career.
His home is still in Atlanta, GA, where he played his final NHL games for the Trashers, and where he started his coaching career.
“I’m living more than half of my life here – so it’s my home at the moment,” says Krupp. "I am staying in the States at least till my son has finished school."
The new German national team coach is living with his wife Valerie and son Bjorn.
Incidentally, Germany now has two National coaches (soccer – Jurgen Klinsmann & hockey – Uwe Krupp) who are living in the USA.
KRUPP'S
FIRST BIG TEST: ALL-STAR GAME IN KREFELD
Last Sunday the new man behind the German bench had his first match
as head coach. The annual all-star game was held in front of 6068 fans
in Krefeld. Krupp's club beat the best foreign players in Germany
(elected by fans) by a score of 5 - 3.
The first goal of the game scored Yannic Seidenberg (Ingolstadt Panther) For Germany the other successful players were: Sebastian Furchner (Cologne Sharks), Alex Barta (Hamburg Freezers), Klaus Kathan (Dusseldorf Metro Stars) and Philip Gogulla (Cologne Sharks). The goals for the non-German “All Stars” were scored by Jakub Ficenec (Ingolstadt Panthers) & Pat Lebeau (Frankfurt Lions).
“The game wasn’t easy, because of the atmosphere – but we wanted to play this game with the goal to become a unit!" said Krupp. "We wanted to win the match and everybody was fighting to win. This was a reason for the low scoring fun game. But all players were giving their best to be successful – and so it will be hard to send seven of them home!”
The new head coach now has the difficult job to send home seven of these players because seven NHLers are coming over the Atlantic.
Does he, as a former defenseman, prefer a more defensive style at the Olympics?
"Nowadays, no team can play without a strong defense, which means that forwards have to work back," says Krupp.
All-Star
Skills Competition Results:
Fastest player - Eduard Lewandowski, Cologne Sharks; already drafted by Phoenix
Hardest shot - Jakub Ficenec (photo-right), Ingolstadt Panthers
Best Goalie (most saves) - Thomas Greiss (photo below), Cologne Sharks; already drafted by San Jose
Photos of Ficenec and Greiss by
Mathias Lehmann
Photo of Uwe Krupp Courtesy German
National Team
Copyright 2010 Western Hockey Network
Also by Ivo Jaschick
2005-06:
Iserlohn Roosters
Ingolstadt
Panthers
Cologne Sharks
DEL Preview
Cologne
Sharks' Brad Schlegel
TUI Nations
Cup
