As the national governing body for the sport, the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) is responsible for the German men’s, women’s, and junior national ice hockey teams. The DEB teams represent Germany at international level, including at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships and the Winter Olympics.
Successes of the men's national team
One of the greatest successes in the more than 100-year history of the German men's national ice hockey team was reaching the final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. After winning the silver medal, the team was also voted Team of the Year by German sports journalists.
In 2023, the team once again won the silver medal at the Ice Hockey World Championship, losing only to Canada 2-5 in the final.
Historic milestones in German women’s ice hockey
The German women's national ice hockey team played its first international match in 1988 against Switzerland. Two years later, the team took part in its first Ice Hockey World Championship, finishing seventh in Canada.
The team celebrated its first semifinals appearance at the World Championship in 2017. Since then, the DEB team has played continuously in the IIHF’s top division. The German women's national ice hockey team participated in the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006 and 2014. In 2026, 20 years after the Winter Olympics in Turin, both German national ice hockey teams will finally compete together at the Olympics again.
Deutschland Cup thrills spectators every year
The German Ice Hockey Federation has hosted the Deutschland Cup since 1987. Every year in November, the national teams of various countries take part in this traditional ice hockey tournament.
In 2023, the tournament celebrated a significant premiere: parallel to the well-known men's tournament, a women's tournament was held for the first time. Following the great success of this premiere, the tournament has since been held in parallel for both men’s and women’s teams. The top-class field of participants and exciting matches thrill thousands of fans every year and ensure that the Deutschland Cup is firmly established in the calendars of international ice hockey fans.