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Buffalo 2025: Germany and Slovakia keep Paralympic dream alive

In two electrifying games, Germans beat Norway while the Slovak win on overtime against Korea to go head-to-head on Friday for the fifth place at the World Para Ice Hockey Championships and a ticket to Milano Cortina 2026 29 May 2025
Three German Para ice hockey players celebrating a goal
Team Germany celebrating Felix Schrader's opening goal in the 3-1 win over Norway at LECOM Harborcenter
ⒸMicheline Veluvolu/USA Hockey
By Daniel Christian Gagne I For World Para Ice Hockey

It was qualification day at the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Championships, with two games on the schedule on Wednesday (28 May). Each would determine who would advance to the placement game for the last guaranteed spot to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, and who was being relegated to the B pool.

Germany 3-1 Norway

The save versus the penalty kill. 

Sports are filled with clutch efforts creating unforgettable moments. This game will go down in history as having two such plays. 

“I need to get my heart rate down,” said Team Germany coach Ole Thomas Sundstol before beginning his post-game interview.

The first period was the first indicator to fans in attendance that an unforgettable game was brewing. The Germans came out strong, with Felix Schrader opening the scoring on a breakaway while Jan Malte Brelage later doubled the lead, only moments after a teammate hit the post.

It seemed as if the black, red and gold were going to cruise to a victory, or at least it did until Ola Oiseth found the back of the net for Team Norway late in the first frame, thereby making it clear the Norwegians had not said their last word.

A scoreless second period only reinforced the feeling, paving the way for a dramatic final 15 minutes. First, while still holding a narrow 2-1 lead and with six minutes left in the frame, German goaltender Veit Muehlhans made the save of the tournament.

While he was busy searching for the puck behind the net, a Norwegian player took advantage of the situation by getting the disc out to the front of the net to a teammate. The puck landed right on a Scandinavian forward’s blade, who promptly shot it towards the unguarded net. And then, it happened. Muelhans found a way to stretch his left arm out, and with nothing but an outreached hand, he stopped the shot and preserved the lead. 

Regarding his goaltender, Sundstol commented after the game: “I am so impressed with him. This is his first big tournament, [he] never played in any big games before. He’s just been growing since I came to the team in January. He’s just been growing all the time. All the camps, all the practices, all the time. I think he had the game of his life, so far.”

But the suspense would continue until the last seconds of the game, when with 84 seconds remaining, Deutschland skater Bernhard Hering got called for a two-minute penalty for teeing, which combined with the pulled Norwegian goaltender, gave Norway a lengthy 6-on-4 opportunity. 

Hering’s teammates met the moment by showcasing exemplary resiliency, determined that the best way to kill the remaining time was to create passionate puck battles along the boards. They would ultimately be rewarded for their perseverance by scoring an empty net goal (by Ingo Kuhli-Lauenstein), simultaneously cementing their triumph.

 

When speaking immediately after the game, Kuhli-Leuenstein was all smiles: “Totally overwhelming positive feeling after [such] a win. Our first target was to stay in the A pool of course, but it’s the first time in a long, long time that we will play for the Winter Paralympic Games, not in a Qualification Tournament but in a World Championships. We are unbelievably proud.”

His coach tried adding, while also being somewhat speechless: “I don’t have so many words. This is very special to me.  I was the equipment manager for Norway for two seasons. So, it’s special but it feels good when we actually make it. That was our goal, to play for the Paralympics. So, the feeling is… it’s the best feeling.”

Slovakia 1-0 Korea

The too many men on the ice game. In a moment reminiscent of the 1979 Boston Bruins, this call would create the opportunity the Slovaks were looking for.

Team Korea goaltender Jae Woong Lee was spectacular, making 18 magical saves in this unforgettable game, most notably when facing a three on one in the first period. It seemed as if he may get the offensive help he needed in the second frame when a teammate shot a puck that hit the crossbar, then the Slovakian goalie’s back and perhaps the inside of the net. The referees were forced to go to video review, which confirmed that the puck had not crossed the line, and therefore, the scoreless tie remained.

In the third period, Team Slovakia threw everything they could at the net. Forward Miroslav Stasak took a terrific wrist shot towards a seemingly abandoned cage, only to see Lee flash his glove. Captain Martin Joppa later took a dangerous shot from the point, only to once more see his efforts turned away by Lee’s superb play. 

That last save would force the game into sudden victory.

 

The extra period began with both teams getting pucks to the net, and both goaltenders refusing to concede an inch. And then, three minutes into the extra frame, the Korean bench was called for a too many men on the ice penalty. It was all the Slovakian power play needed, as Stasak drew the puck back on the face-off, Joppa beat an opponent to it, took it wide and before cutting to the net with it, and slid the disc underneath the goaltender’s stretched arm.

“I have no idea how it happened, you know, I really wanted to score the goal” said the overtime hero after the game. “In the moment, I was in front of the net alone with the puck on (my) stick. (…) I train to shoot a lot, under the arm pit of the goalie and it worked.” 

The victory also sets up a critically important qualifying game against Germany for Slovakia. On the subject, Joppa added: “We are looking forward to it. Our first step is done and now it’s (on to) the second and maybe more important (one), (but) that’s why we came here. We want that (spot in) Italy next year, so we are going to celebrate a little bit today, (…) have a rest day tomorrow, and we will prepare for the game (then).”

As a result of Wednesday’s games, it will therefore be Germany and Slovakia who will duke it out for the fifth and final spot to the 2026 Winter Paralympics. That game will take place on Friday, 30 May at 10:00AM in Buffalo. Meanwhile, Norway and Korea will compete for the seventh place later in the day.

Friday will also host the semifinals with Canada facing Czechia followed by USA against China.

But as for Wednesday, while fans, players and even coaches will forever discuss and debate the saves, penalties and goals they witnessed, it would be ill advised not to highlight the heart of champions displayed by all the competing athletes, for beyond the scoreboard, the true winner of the day was the sport of Para ice hockey itself.

Complete scores, stats and schedule from the World Para Ice Hockey Championships can be found here.

USAHockeyTV is streaming all the Bufalo 2025 action live. 

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