Germany won’t win a medal, but they could factor into the medal hopes of other nations as a difficult opponent at the 2026 Olympic women’s hockey tournament. Here’s a look at their team.
Germany narrowly qualified for the 2026 Olympic women’s hockey tournament. That doesn’t however, mean the German’s will be a pushover, and they’re a favorite to advance from Group B to face a top team in the quarterfinals.
PWHL Influence Starting To Show
Sandra Abstreiter, Laura Kluge, and Nina Jobst-Smith are three Germans currently playing in the PWHL, and they’ll help guide this roster in important moments. The intentional decision from Abstreiter and Kluge to take on depth roles in the PWHL to challenge themselves against the best in the world is a similar mindset to how Germany plays. Every member of this roster takes their role seriously, checks hard, plays responsibly on both sides of the puck, and it’s a style that translates across the globe. As important as Abstreiter is in net, Kluge is the heart and soul of this roster. Kluge plays like a pro and can change from the checking line role she’s handled professionally to a more wide open scoring like role seamlessly.
No Stars But Plenty Of Sparks
There just isn’t a star to the level teams like Canada, USA, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia, or Sweden have on this lineup, but there are plenty of players who will provide a spark. Twin sisters Luisa Welcke and Lilli Welcke are closing out their NCAA careers with Boston University, and have developed into two way threats for Germany. Veterans including Emily Nix, Franziska Feldmeier, and Nicola Hadraschek-Eisenschmid are all back and will provide the compete level Germany is known for.
Defensive Depth A Strength
Of course having Sandra Abstreiter in net is a bonus, but Germany has a deep, experienced, and stable blueline that has a lot of shut down capacity. Veterans including Nina Jobst-Smith, Daria Gleißner, Carina Strobel, and Ronja Hark are all reliable and it’s likely if Germany has another player who could immediately step into a role as a PWHL regular, it’s here on their blueline. Youngster Charlott Schaffrath is the next in that line and adds a splash of size to this unit.
Roster
Forwards: Laura Kluge, Luisa Welcke, Lilli Welcke, Emily Nix, Franziska Feldmeier, Nicola Hadraschek-Eisenschmid, Celina Haider, Mathilda Heine, Svenja Voigt, Nina Christof, Jule Schiefer, Anne Bartsch, Katharina Häckelsmiller.
Defenders: Nina Jobst-Smith, Daria Gleißner, Carina Strobel, Ronja Hark, Hanna Hoppe, Tara Schmitz, Charlott Schaffrath.
Goaltenders: Sandra Abstreiter, Lisa Hemmerle, Chiara Schultz.