Milano Cortina 2026: Get to Know Team Germany

The Para ice hockey competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will see the world’s best teams gather from 7 to 15 March at the newly built Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena – a state-of-the-art venue designed to showcase the speed and physicality of the sport. 

The compact schedule and single-venue format will create an intense atmosphere, with multiple high-stakes matchups unfolding across nine days of competition.

The eight qualified teams will be divided into two preliminary-round groups of four. Each team will play three round-robin games within its group, with the top two advancing to the semifinals. The remaining teams will move into classification games to determine fifth through eighth place. With little margin for error in a short tournament, every shift — and every point — will matter.

Here’s a look at No. 5-seeded Germany.

Background 

Germany will compete in Para ice hockey on the Paralympic stage for only the second time in history and first in 20 years, having previously finished fourth at the 2006 Games — also held in Italy. The Germans have been on the up and up over the last two years, claiming silver at the 2024 World Championships B-Pool and finishing a surprising fifth at the 2025 World Championships A-Pool to earn its spot at Milano Cortina. 

The team features a balanced mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. Forwards Bernhard Hering and Felix Schrader have been standout scorers in international play, while Jan Malte Brelage anchors a sturdy defensive unit. Between the pipes, Simon Kunst has been a key factor in tight games.

German Para ice hockey player Leopold Reimann is looking to make his Paralympic Winter Games debut at Milano Cortina 2026.

Germany has already qualified for the Para ice hockey tournament. 🇩🇪 🏒 pic.twitter.com/OgvfCBRAWj

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) January 8, 2026

Roster Breakdown

Forwards: Hering Bernhard, Frank Rennhack, Felix Schrader, Joerg Wedde, Jano Bussmann, Leopold Reimann, Marcel Nicola Malchin, Bas Disveld, Christian Jaster

Defenders: Jan Malte Brelage, Sven Stumpe, Hugo Raedler, Steven Betz, Ingo Kuhli-Lauenstein, Christian Pilz 

Goaltenders: Simon Kunst, Veit Muehlhans

Paralympic Winter Games History 

2006: 4th

Athlete to Watch

Ingo Kuhli-Lauenstein has been with Germany’s team since 2015 and will finally get a chance to play on Paralympic ice at age 33. A veteran player associated with the TuS Wiehl Penguins, he played a crucial role in Germany's qualification for the 2026 Winter Paralympics by scoring crucial goals at the last World Championships, including the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime win against Korea. 

Matchup to Watch

China vs. Germany on Saturday, 7 March: The first day of competition will feature one of the toughest matches for Germany early on — and one that likely could determine a playoff spot. As the second and third placed teams in their group, respectively, China and Germany will aim to get their nerves out early as, Germany looks to come back from an 8-0 loss against China at last year’s World Championships.