Juniors train with professionals
Naud and U20 trainer Rupert Meister, who has recently also been working as “Head of Sporting Development and Strategy for professionals and youngsters”, work closely together here. Both want to give their own offspring a chance. That’s why SCB junior players have recently trained with the pros, such as strikers Justin Scheck (17), Alex Samusev (19) and Anton Sproll (20). At the same time, the Steelers makers are also targeting the competition’s talent sheds. So Naud wants to watch the playoff opening duel in the German youth league, Division 1, between EV Landshut and ESV Kaufbeuren this Saturday evening to watch the players.
A particularly large number of departures are in the pipeline for the previous Bietigheimer import players. The quota positions are to be reduced from the current ten to four after the relegation, which is also obvious in view of the regulations. After all, only four foreigners per match may be used in the DEL2. Nine were allowed in the elite class.
No return to the gang
The future of coach Pekka Kangasalusta and his assistant Fabian Dahlem is still unclear. “We won’t make a decision until the end of the season. The coach is not the priority at the moment. It has to be someone who fits the team,” Naud keeps a low profile on the subject. However, the Canadian currently rules out returning to the gang himself: “The focus is 100 percent on my job as a sports director.”
Nuremberg comes to the penultimate Steelers home game on Sunday
On their DEL farewell tour the Bietigheim Steelers are expecting the Nuremberg Ice Tigers for the penultimate home game of the season on Sunday (2 p.m.). Since the penultimate Augsburg Panthers lost 4:5 against the Straubing Tigers on Friday evening despite a 4:1 lead, SCB’s relegation is not yet sealed. Mathematically, the Steelers still have a small chance of staying up. Four games before the end of the round, Bietigheim and Augsburg separate nine points as usual. The Steelers won their first home duel against the playoff candidate from Nuremberg at the end of December 6:5 after extra time. On the other hand, they went away twice in Franconia (3: 6 and 1: 4).
