MUNICH (AP) 鈥� Harold Kreis is leaving as coach of Germany’s ice hockey squad after failing to make the medal rounds at the and in quick succession led his boss to saying the men’s team had 鈥渟tagnated鈥�.
The German hockey association said in a statement on Friday that the two parties had 鈥渕utually agreed to terminate their collaboration with immediate effect鈥�.
Kreis鈥� contract had been due to run until Germany hosts the world championship next year.
The Canada-born Kreis has spent decades as a player and coach in Germany and made an impact within weeks of taking over the national squad in 2023, taking his team to the before losing 5-2 to Canada.
However, Germany lost in this year’s to Slovakia and at the world championship last year and this year.
The association’s sporting director said that parting company with Kreis wasn’t easy, 鈥渂ut at the same time we see that the development of the men’s national team has stagnated recently and this overall sporting assessment led to our decision.鈥�
Kreis called his three years in charge 鈥渁 special time that I look back on with great gratitude.鈥�
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