They have particularly fond memories of the 2001 World Championships at home with the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB).

Not only did their own team make it to the semi-finals, it was above all the opening game that everyone involved is still enthusiastic about to this day.

A 2-1 win over the USA in front of 77,803 fans in the Schalke Arena – the biggest crowd ever for an ice hockey game in Europe.

So far at least, maybe the record will be broken in a few years.

Because at DEB they are now thinking big again with a view to the 2027 World Cup: “We will apply with two arenas.

In addition, perhaps with a football stadium for the opening game,” announced DEB President Peter Merten in Krefeld these days.

The Germany Cup was on there, the four-country tournament that the DEB traditionally invites to every November.

Money must be in the till

But although the German team won every game and defended their title from the previous year, they were far from an attendance record.

Like the clubs in the leagues before them, the national team now had problems getting rid of tickets.

There were only 1,000 fans for the Germans' first game on Thursday.

"Not ideal," commented Merten and announced that he would be moving after five years in Krefeld: "The innovation effect has evaporated.

We want to go to another location.”

It should probably go back to southern Germany, where ice hockey enthusiasm is greater.

And where more money comes into the till.

Because financially it is currently difficult at the DEB.

The past few years have not been very profitable, also because of the corona pandemic.

For 2022, the association expects a minus of around one million euros, and 2023 should also end up in the red.

But nobody needs to worry, said the President.

The game operation, the support measures and the trips to international tournaments are secured, there are also reserves.

Nevertheless, the goal is to “get closer to the black zero” in the foreseeable future.

"The disc moves and asserts"

To this end, the association is to be restructured and become more entrepreneurial.

So that things don't go as they have in German ice hockey for decades: every few years a home World Cup is needed to finance the operation until the next one - like in 2001, 2010 and 2017. But the times when the few great ice hockey nations took turns are over.

Competitors for 2027 are Norway and Kazakhstan, which have never hosted a World Cup.

That's not the only reason why they are tough competition for Merten, it's also because of their financial possibilities.

It was all the more important that the games in Krefeld were better attended.

On Saturday against Austria there were at least 3310 fans, on Sunday against Slovakia 3854. And they saw a strong German team.

At the start on Thursday against Denmark (3:2 after extra time) it was still difficult, against Austria (3:0) it played like one piece.

“We moved the disc and claimed.

We supported each other and had a good pace," said national coach Toni Söderholm, who used the tournament for testing.

Not only did Söderholm have to do without overseas professionals like Leon Draisaitl, as usual, he also did so voluntarily for seasoned internationals like Captain Moritz Müller and Marcel Noebels.

For this he nominated numerous debutants, many of them under 25 years old.

But they quickly found each other.

On Sunday against Slovakia there was a 3-0 win and thus the tournament win.

Good news in difficult times for German ice hockey.