Germany names 26 players to World Cup team

Germany named 26 players to its World Cup squad.

Three goalies, eight defensemen and 15 forwards were named to Team Germany for the World Cup of Hockey. German officials said they expect to name the coach this summer. Hans Zach recently stepped down after six years as head coach of Germany's national team.

Washington Capitals netminder Olaf Kolzig, the 2000 Vezina Trophy winner, should be a force in net for the Germans. San Jose Sharks forwards Marco Sturm and Christian Ehrhoff were named along with NHL defensive prospects Dennis Seidenberg of the Philadelphia Flyers and Christoph Schubert of the Ottawa Senators.

Team Germany will have a family flare to its roster as forward Marcel Goc and his older brother Sascha were also named to the team.

In addition, the German team will also include the brother of another veteran NHL player, Martin Reichel, whose brother, Robert, played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2003-04. The brothers were born in Litvinov, Czech Republic, and Robert Reichel was a member of the Czech's 1998 Olympic gold-medal team. Martin Reichel has played in Germany for over a decade.

In 2002 at Salt Lake City, Robert and Martin Reichel became only the second pair of brothers to oppose each other in Olympic hockey competition.

Other players named include goalie Robert Muller, defensemen Mirko Ludemann, Christoph Schubert, Andreas Renz and Lasse Kopitz; and forwards Stefan Ustorf, Daniel Kreitzer, Tobias Abstreiter, Tomas Martinec, Eduard Lewandowski, Thomas Greilinger, Klaus Kathan, Tino Boos, Andreas Morczinietz and Stephan Retzer.

Muller, Schubert, Seidenberg, Renz, Ludemann, Ehrhoff, Kreutzer, Kathan, Ustorf, Benda, Abstreiter, Reichel, Morczinietz, Marcel Goc, Sturm, Hecht and Kolzig were all members of the 2002 German Olympic team.

Team Germany Roster
Goaltenders
JONAS, Oliver, Eisbären Berlin   
KÖLZIG, Olaf, Washington Capitals   
MÜLLER, Robert, Krefeld Pinguine

Defense
LEASK, Robert, Eisbären Berlin   
GOC, Sascha, Mannheim   
EHRHOFF, Christian, San Jose Sharks  
LÜDEMANN, Mirko, Kölner Haie   
SCHUBERT, Christoph, Ottawa 
RENZ, Andreas, Kölner Haie   
KOPITZ, Lasse, Nürnberg Ice Tigers   
SEIDENBERG, Dennis, Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards
HECHT, Jochen, Buffalo Sabres  
STURM, Marco, San Jose Sharks 
USTORF, Stefan, Mannheim/Krefeld    
REICHEL, Martin, Frankfurt Lions   
KREUTZER, Daniel , DEG Metro Stars   
ABSTREITER, Tobias, Kassel Huskies   
MARTINEC, Tomas, Mannheim   
LEWANDOWSKI, Eduard, Kölner Haie   
GREILINGER, Thomas, Nürnberg Ice Tigers    
KATHAN, Klaus, Mannheim   
BOOS, Tino, Kölner Haie   
GOC, Marcel, San Jose Sharks   
MORCZINIETZ, Andreas, Kölner Haie   
RETZER, Stephan, Kassel Huskies   
BENDA, Jan, AK Bars Kazan