Marcel Brandt is the leader on defense and an iconic figure of the Straubing Tigers. The 2022 Olympian has much to say about the illustrious development the club has gone through over the past decade.

Originally, Marcel Brandt was a centre. But when Dusseldorfer EG was short several defensemen in the winter of 2015, their coach at the time, Christof Kreutzer, approached Brandt with the words: ‘You are the only centre that can skate backwards. You’re playing on defense today.’ The rest is history; Brandt quickly overcame his initial skepticism. And he was so convincing in his new role that he just remained a defenseman. It was a rapid metamorphosis, which was extremely fruitful – since then, Brandt has been among the best defensemen in Germany. In 2020-2021, he was the highest scoring defenseman in the DEL and was named ‘Defenseman of the Year”. In 2021 he was at the world championships, one year later at the Olympic games. ‘My past as a forward has helped me a lot – I know the routes and, thanks to my experience, I can anticipate what the forwards will do’, says Brandt.

Brandt, 32, has spent the majority of his career in Straubing; he is currently in his seventh season for the Tigers. He has personally witnessed the club’s transformation from the DEL’s ugly duckling to one of the league’s top teams. ‘We have made ten steps forward in the last seven years. When compared,  they are two different worlds. The club has become extremely professional, everything has grown. In the meantime, we have become an attractive place for even renowned players. It is no coincidence that an NHL star like Justin Braun ended up with us’, says Brandt.

Straubing, located in Lower Bavaria, has a population of merely 50,000, but the Tigers have placed in the top four for five consecutive years and are carried in part by a strong sense of community. Brandt is doing a lot to keep it that way. He is a board member and youth coach in the parent organisation EHC Straubing and has started a foundation with the goal of forging the “heroes of tomorrow”.

Brandt says that Straubing has long become a matter of the heart. And that feeling applies to many associated with the club; the Tigers are a tight-knit community. Brandt says, ‘it is uncomfortable for any opponent to play on our ice. It sometimes reminds me of the small Gallic village that irritates the larger cities.’

A small Gallic village at the Spengler Cup? That role was played by HC Ambri-Piotta, the 2022 champion, over the past years. Can Straubing take over this role? Brandt is optimistic and says, ‘we are all extremely excited for the tournament, from the team to the fans. We have a fast, young team that plays forward hockey. I believe those are qualities that will come in handy at the Spengler Cup.’

Text: SLAPSHOT, das Hockey-Magazin der Schweiz    Foto: IMAGO/Sportfoto Zink/Thomas Hahn

Tickets to the 96th Spengler Cup are available for presale online erhältlich. Further tickets to all games will be released continuously.