A good start for Lions has been made

Not least thanks to goalie Cody Brenner, Frankfurt celebrates a victory at the start of the DEL.

Frankfurt – The last siren was once again a signal for a wild scuffle, but that was all the excitement for Friday evening. And Cody Brenner had another big appearance, albeit one completely different from the many parades during the party. At the Löwen Frankfurt, it is a funny tradition that the fans ask their goalie to dance after winning home games, and the substitute goalkeeper, who unexpectedly found himself in the spotlight, mastered this challenge with flying colors. The part he played in the 3:2 (1:0, 0:1, 2:1) win against the Nuremberg Ice Tigers was perhaps even more important for Frankfurt’s successful start to the new season in the top division of German ice hockey. “Perfect debut. “We wanted to win, and luckily we managed that, with the fans behind us,” said the equally eye-catching new signing Daniel Pfaffengut on the Magentasport microphone. “In the end, we showed that we can fight.”

Much was prepared for an atmospheric season opening in the ice rink on Ratsweg, which was particularly warm on this late summer evening, with an official 6317 spectators, including the loud guests from Nuremberg, and was well filled just in time for the start: with the surname “Nix”, thanks to a sponsorship from the car dealership that has long been associated with the Lions, which brings them an additional 200,000 euros annually. Only two people who were missed down on the ice had to watch the action from the press box, which hurt the Frankfurters: the new starting goalkeeper Jussi Olkinuora, who will not be ready for action until the sixth match day at the earliest after a knee operation, and Carter Rowney next to him. The injured striker will also be missing on Sunday (2 p.m.), when the next home game is against championship contenders Munich.

“It doesn’t feel ideal when your two best players aren’t there,” sports director Daniel Heinrizi had previously admitted. “But it’s a chance for everyone else.” One person certainly took advantage of it: Olkinuora’s replacement Brenner, who had already impressed in the preseason, shone between the Lions’ paws, once quickly fishing a power play shot off the line with his catching hand as he fell and was also there when he was needed – spectacular in two or three solos by the visitors in front of his goal. And he only had no chance when Ice Tigers striker Charlie Gerard’s hidden shot led to Nuremberg’s surprising equalizer shortly before the end of the second period.

The Lions had already taken control for some time. The first third was rather tough and disjointed, with a few mistakes. Perhaps typical of the nervousness and natural lack of coordination at the beginning, perhaps also due to the warm September ice, on which the puck sometimes slid in an unconventional way. “There is always a bit of excitement at the start of the season,” explained defender Markus Lauridsen during the first break. The fact that his Lions were already in the lead was a bit of luck and also down to him: his power play slap shot was deflected by returning player Carter Proft to make it 1-0 (12th minute) – the first of three points for Lauridsen: He was involved in all three Frankfurt goals and was thus one of the guarantors of the success of this ultimately successful Lions’ start.

There was a lot that was new at Ratsweg, not just the name of the stadium: Sports director Heinrizi, 13 new players, and not least a new head coach in Tom Rowe – who promptly met his old employer at his first mandatory meeting at the new workplace. After a few departures, many experts see Nuremberg as a candidate for relegation, while Rowe has declared the top six as the goal in Frankfurt. To achieve this, a win at the start was needed. What was noticeable was that the lines changed quickly, and the ice time was well distributed among all lines, including the young lions.

This paid off: The hosts increased the pressure and were not put off by the equalizer. Cameron Brace (45th) scored to make it 2-1, Pfaffengut (49th), who also provided two assists, made it 3-1, again on the power play. Samuel Dove-McFalls (56th) shortened the lead again. But when in doubt, Brenner, man of the Friday evening, was there, with the help of all the other Lions.

“After the preparation, we said that we need to step up our offensive game.” “Today we showed that we have really good formations on the ice in the power play,” said Pfaffengut. “We can still work on puck management, reduce the turnovers a bit,” he concluded, “then things will look pretty good.” The Lions have definitely made a good start.

EXTRA: “No ice rink” brings the Lions 800,000 euros

The new lettering appeared on the facade overnight, as busy hands had done their work. Late in the evening, but just in time for the first match day of the German Ice Hockey League. When the fans of the Löwen Frankfurt arrived on Friday evening for the match against the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, the new name was already emblazoned on them: for the time being, until 2028, the home stadium will be called “Nix Eissporthalle”. The awarding of the naming rights to the Nix car dealership – already a Löwen sponsor since 2022 – was approved by the Frankfurt City Council early on Thursday evening, which was the last formal act. So that work could then quickly begin on the hall.

“We are broadly positioned as a sports city and are happy when companies say that there are other great clubs besides football,” explained Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) at a reception on Friday afternoon in front of the gates of the hall. Over four years, 800,000 euros went to the Lions, said Josef. The city would not forego this money, he stressed, because it would not have received the money on its own: after all, the Nix company wanted to specifically support the Lions.

At the same time, the exclusive partnership of the family business with headquarters in Wächtersbach and several branches in Hesse – including on Hanauer Landstrasse in Frankfurt – was also extended until 2028. As part of this, an advertising space for the car dealership moved from a bully to the center circle. “It fills me with pride that our name is attached to such a traditional hall,” said managing director Alexander Nix, combining advertising with a joke about the name for himself. “It’s best to drive home with Nix,” he recommended, as a message to future opponents.