Buffalo 2025 Team Preview: Get to know Germany

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool will take place from May 24-31 in Buffalo, New York. Hosted in conjunction with USA Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter, the tournament will feature three days of group play followed by three days of playoff contests. The top five finishers from the event will earn qualification spots for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The bottom three finishers will be forced to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament that will take place later in 2025.

In the countdown to the World Championships, we will be looking at the eight teams competing in Buffalo – starting with Germany.

Background 

Germany, seeded No. 8, has bounced six times between the A and B-Pools in the last 15 years and is now back in the A-Pool in search of a Milano-Cortina 2026 spot. The Germans most recently claimed silver at the B-Pool World Championships last year following a heartbreaking overtime loss to Norway in the final. Earlier this season, Germany then swept Norway in a three-game exhibition series. Germany’s lone appearance at the Paralympic Winter Games was at Torino 2006, and its ultimate goal is to return to the event once again in Italy.

World Championships History

2024: Silver (B-Pool)
2023: 8th place (A-Pool)
2021: Silver (B-Pool)
2019: 4th place (B-Pool)
2017: 7th place (A-Pool)
2015: 6th place (A-Pool)
2013: Gold (B-Pool)
2012: Bronze (B-Pool)
2009: 8th place (A-Pool)
2008: 5th place (A-Pool)
2004: 7th place (A-Pool)

Advantage: 🇩🇪

Felix Schrader puts Germany into a first period lead!

Watch Live: https://t.co/hzmqvfwjip#Skien2024 | #ParaIceHockey pic.twitter.com/xEYluYMzef

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) April 17, 2024

Athlete to Watch

Forward Felix Schrader, who plays for ERC Hannover locally, has been integral to Germany’s consistent play over the last decade. When he’s on his game, Germany often wins. He has created big moments and covered multiple-goal games numerous times in the B-Pool and will aim to translate those results to the A-Pool this time around.

Matchup to Watch 

Germany will play Korea in the tournament’s final preliminary round matchup on Tuesday, May 27. This game could be the ultimate decider for seeding in the playoffs, dictating chances for earning a qualification spot at next year’s Paralympic Winter Games. Germany has not faced Korea at the World Championship level since 2017, when it lost, 2-1, in a closely contested preliminary round matchup. 

Game Schedule

Saturday, 24 May
17:00 - Canada vs. Germany

Sunday, 25 May
20:30 - China vs. Germany

Tuesday, 27 May
20:30 - Germany vs. Korea

More information about the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships can be found here.