Overview
- Brandt, 33, announced Monday that he is retiring from the national team, telling Eishockey News the relationship with coach Harold Kreis is over.
- Explaining his decision, Brandt said Kreis told him he had not watched him in recent years, which the defenseman called a no-go.
- Responding on MagentaSport, Kreis said Brandt declined for personal reasons, and Brandt said the coach apologized during a recent conversation.
- Brandt and his wife decided he will not play for Germany again, ending an international run that included the 2021 Worlds and the 2022 Olympics under former coach Toni Söderholm.
- Despite leading all German defensemen in the DEL with 16 goals this season, Brandt was not invited to the current setup, sharpening focus on Kreis’s selections before May’s World Championship in Switzerland.