Story Summary
Kölner Haie will make their first competitive trip to the Krefeld Pinguine in more than four years when the sides meet on Friday. The clubs have not played in Krefeld for 57 months, or 1,750 days, and the fixture is the first between them since the Pinguine returned to the DEL.
Cologne arrive after a mixed sequence that has maintained their pattern of alternating wins and losses since the start of the season. They ended their earlier Friday difficulties with a 5-3 win in Straubing, but then lost an intense home game against Adler Mannheim in overtime on Tuesday.
Krefeld, meanwhile, halted a five-game losing streak with a commanding home victory over Schwenninger Wild Wings. That result lifted the black-and-yellow side to ninth in the table, three places behind Cologne, and gives the meeting added significance for two teams separated by only a small stretch of league positions.
Key Facts
- Kölner Haie will play their first competitive away match at Krefeld Pinguine for 1,750 days when the teams meet on Friday.
- The opening face-off in Krefeld is scheduled for 19:30.
- Cologne beat Straubing 5-3 on the previous Friday to end their run of difficult Friday results.
- Adler Mannheim beat Kölner Haie in overtime in an intense home game on Tuesday.
- Krefeld ended a five-game losing run with a home win against Schwenninger Wild Wings.
- The Pinguine are ninth in the DEL table, three places behind Cologne.
- Krefeld earned promotion from DEL2 in the spring after winning 12 consecutive play-off games.
- Thomas Popiesch is in his third season as Krefeld coach after joining the club in 2024.
- Mick Köhler, Marcel Müller, Tanner Kero and Philip Gogulla are former Kölner Haie players now with Krefeld.
- Mathew Santon has 18 points, Max Newton has 17 and Davis Vandane has 11 to lead Krefeld’s internal scoring race.
IHM Discussion
This is a fixture with a substantial gap in its recent history. Krefeld spent four years in DEL2 before securing promotion in the spring, so Cologne’s return is not simply another divisional trip. It is the first opportunity for the Haie to see how the Pinguine’s rebuilt top-flight project stands in a meaningful home meeting.
The Pinguine have adapted quickly enough to win three of their opening five DEL matches, although their subsequent five-game skid showed the tougher demands of the division. Their response against Schwenningen matters because it stopped that run and moved them within three positions of Cologne.
Cologne’s recent results have formed an unusually neat sequence of wins followed by losses. The victory in Straubing broke one unwelcome Friday pattern, while the overtime defeat to Mannheim extended the broader alternation.
There are familiar faces on the Krefeld roster. Köhler, Müller, Kero and Gogulla all previously played for Cologne, while Popiesch has been the steady figure overseeing the Pinguine’s ascent since his arrival in 2024. His work included building the side towards promotion after a decorated coaching spell with Bremerhaven.
Why It Matters
The game places a recently promoted club against a higher-placed DEL opponent at a point when both have fresh reasons to take confidence from their latest notable result. Krefeld have restored some momentum after a five-game slide, while Cologne have already shown they can win away from home in Straubing.
For Krefeld, the fixture also tests a squad assembled for the step up. Eight summer additions were brought in, including Finnish goaltender Juha Jatkola, yet three players who contributed to promotion remain the leading scorers. Santon, Newton and Vandane have carried their productivity from DEL2 into the current campaign, giving the Pinguine continuity alongside their new arrivals.
The return of four former Cologne players adds a personal thread without changing the central sporting question: whether Krefeld can build on their recent win and narrow the table gap to the Haie.
Mini Q&A
When did Kölner Haie last play a competitive game in Krefeld?
The Haie last played a competitive away game at Krefeld Pinguine 1,750 days ago, a gap of 57 months and more than four years.
Why are Krefeld Pinguine back in the DEL?
Krefeld won promotion from DEL2 in the spring after a perfect run of 12 consecutive play-off victories.
Who leads Krefeld’s scoring?
Mathew Santon leads Krefeld with 18 points, followed by Max Newton on 17 and Davis Vandane on 11.
Which former Haie players are now with Krefeld?
Mick Köhler, Marcel Müller, Tanner Kero and Philip Gogulla are former Kölner Haie players in the Krefeld squad.
Coach Mark Comment
Four former Haie players on the Krefeld side is enough to give the evening its own texture, particularly after such a long break between competitive visits. Familiarity can make the early moments feel busy, but it does not play a shift or settle a puck.
Krefeld’s stronger marker is the way their established promotion contributors still lead the scoring, even after eight summer arrivals. Santon, Newton and Vandane have already carried a lot of the club’s recent history. Against Cologne, they have an opportunity to make the return to this fixture feel like part of the Pinguine’s present rather than a reunion centred on the past.
What Comes Next
The next checkpoint is Friday’s 19:30 face-off in Krefeld, where the Pinguine and Kölner Haie meet for the first time since Krefeld’s return to the DEL.
IHM Final View
Krefeld’s promotion has restored a fixture absent from the DEL calendar for more than four years. The Pinguine enter it after ending a difficult run, Cologne after an overtime defeat to Mannheim, and the league positions leave a clear competitive frame: Krefeld sit ninth, three places behind their visitors. The long-awaited return to Krefeld now gives both clubs a direct measure of where they stand.