In the eyes of Team Germany, the Olympics weren’t supposed to end in the quarterfinals. In fact, the general hockey fan didn’t think the country’s run would end so soon either. Germany was favored in their matchup against Slovakia, with the winner getting a 100% chance to play for a medal. However, it was a disaster game for them, as Slovakia dominated them the entire 60 minutes, winning 6-2.
Germany isn’t a powerhouse yet, but it’s growing into one. Names like Leon Draisaitl, JJ Peterka, and Tim Stützle are starting to fill out the lineup and make noise in the NHL. However, depth was not a strength for the country during the Olympics. 10 skaters who played the full tournament failed to register a single point. Only eight players had more than a single point in the five games the country played, with two defensemen making that list.
In comparison, the team that beat them, Slovakia, only had two skaters who played the full tournament fail to produce a point. 14 players were multipoint producers, including four defensemen.
When you lose the Olympics without failing to even get to a medal game, the question always becomes, did you ice the best team? Did you leave someone at home that you probably should’ve taken with you? Perhaps a player who could’ve put up a better performance or made a big-time play. Someone with experience rivaling some of the others on the team could’ve made all the difference.
For the United States, Jason Robertson was the big name left back in North America, who is second in points for American-born players in the NHL (66). Of course, the team went on to win gold, so that narrative quickly disappeared, but how about the team they beat in the championship game? Perhaps Canada regrets not taking Matthew Shaefer, the New York Islanders rookie defenseman who now has 39 points and is fourth in goals for a defenseman in the NHL.
In Germany’s case, two players were questionably left off the Olympic roster that arguably should’ve made the cut, Utah Mammoth prospects Julian Lutz and Maksymilian Szuber, both of whom are in the midst of career seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL). Despite the disappointment, Lutz and Szuber have their eyes set on continuing their strong campaign, determined to show they are some of the best German players in the world.
Great Play Leads to Shocking Omissions
The Tucson Roadrunners’ game on Nov. 29 was not a great game for the home team. While Noel Nordh got the crowd on their feet early, the Abbotsford Canucks scored five straight goals across the next 40 minutes to win 5-2. It was one of Szuber’s few games so far this season where he didn’t register a point and was a minus in the plus-minus category. Lutz also didn’t have a good game with a minus-two stat line.
Unfortunately, it was the worst timing both Szuber and Lutz could’ve had. In attendance for that game was the German head coach and manager. While they didn’t decide to not add Szuber and Lutz to the team there, a month later, the duo got the call that they weren’t making the trip to Milano-Cortina.
“They watched the second Abbotsford game,” Szuber said. “They told us that they don’t make decisions here. Near Christmas, I got a call that I did not make the team. It’s their decision, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
The decision was a gutpunch for both players, especially Szuber. Lutz has played for Germany in the World Juniors, but Szuber has played in the past three World Championships for the country. Outside of Moritz Seider, Szuber has been the best German defenseman in North America.
When asked about the feeling of receiving that phone call, Lutz didn’t jump to his own emotions first. The first person he thought about was Szuber.
“I’m probably more disappointed for Szuby that he didn’t get it, that he didn’t get invited,” Lutz said.
As mentioned, both Szuber and Lutz are in the midst of really good seasons. Lutz has seven points in 42 games. He’s already broken his career high in goals (three scored this season) and is on pace to beat his high in points (13). He’ll also play the most games in his pro career, barring any injury.
Related: Mammoth’s JJ Peterka Emerging as Key Player for Germany at Olympics
Szuber has been one of the most important defensemen for the Roadrunners. He has 24 points in 44 games. 10 of those points are goals, which is tied for fourth among defensemen in the AHL. His previous career high in the category was seven. He’s also on pace to break his career high in points (32).
His 2nd of the game and Tucson's 4th…MAX SZUBER GOAL pic.twitter.com/XE1oqENKlq
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) January 11, 2026
The great seasons so far for the pair of players are what made the call from Germany even more disappointing. Szuber thought he did enough to deserve a spot on the team. At the end of the day, that opportunity never came.
“To be honest, I thought I could make it,” Szuber said. “I guess I was wrong, but that’s just how it goes. It’s a business. If they think I’m not a good decision, then that’s how it is. If they think I’m a good decision, then that’s how it is. I can do nothing else but work harder, use it as motivation, and see how it goes from there.”
It hasn’t just been the points and his great shot that Szuber has provided for the Roadrunners. He’s been the team’s number one defenseman at multiple points throughout the season. He’s stepped up big time as of late with the Roadrunners, dealing with a lot of injuries. Artem Duda and Terrell Goldsmith are both dealing with big injuries, and both Dmitri Simashev and Maveric Lamoureux have split time between Utah and Tucson. Szuber has held on strong throughout that time, helping guide the Roadrunners to a strong January.
On top of that, Szuber has mainly been paired with Lamoureux, helping him develop as one of the Mammoth’s top prospects. The two have formed a great defensive pairing and are both in the top four of scoring among defensemen on the Roadrunners.
“When people get hurt, there are new opportunities coming up,” Szuber said. “You try to take it and go forward from it. I’ve been paired up with Mav all season long, and it’s always been super nice. We have a great connection on and off the ice, and it’s been working well together. We feed off each other. That’s what the coaches said that they said they like us together. We work hard together. We do the dirty work sometimes on the penalty kill, and it’s been working out.”
Lutz has done well playing on the bottom line with Owen Allard and Miko Matikka. He’s improved the physical side of his game and has reinvented himself into a hard-nosed, energizing fourth-line forward. He’s earned the respect of his coaches as well, being promoted to the second line on a couple of occasions.
KING JULIAAAN GOAL pic.twitter.com/GnCAcWkOkk
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) November 23, 2025
Eyes on 2030
Heading into the last couple of weeks of the season, Lutz wants to continue to get more adjusted to the pro level. He wants to produce more consistently. He’s shown he can in leagues overseas and in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he had a breakout season with the Green Bay Gamblers, scoring 68 points in 50 games. The goal for Lutz is to bring that to the AHL.
“I’ve improved on just working hard every day, getting smarter, playing with more confidence,” Lutz said. “I had a lot of chances the last couple of games, and today I got rewarded, but I have to keep going in the next game.”
For Szuber, he wants to improve on his speed and physicality. His goal is to make it to the NHL full-time, something he honestly wants more than making the 2030 Olympics. He has already made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes back in the 2023-24 season, but has failed to play a game since then. Szuber was awarded with an NHL call-up over the Olympic break, but was recently sent back down to the Roadrunners.
Szuber thinks Lutz will get an NHL call-up too soon. Similar to what Lutz said of him, the defenseman was surprised his teammate didn’t make Germany’s team, citing the fact that older veterans playing overseas was the main target when the country was building the team.
Something that has helped the two stomach the exclusion from the Olympics is having each other. Lutz and Szuber have known each other all their life. Both played together at the Red Bull Hockey Academy, and now both play with each other in Tucson. They’ve each been through a lot. To both of them, they see each other as brothers and want nothing but the best for each other.
“He’s like my small brother,” Szuber said. “I’ve known him now for over 10 years. He’s a great player. He had a slow year last year, and you can see how much he’s been stepping forward. This year, he might be one of our better forwards, and he makes great plays and works hard every time…He’s been doing very well this year, and I just can’t say enough good words.”
Would Germany have won a medal with Szuber and Lutz on the team? Probably not. Would they have beaten Slovakia with the two? Maybe. The point is that Germany would’ve been a better team with two of their best players in arguably the second-best league in North America. Despite being younger than most of the players on the team at ages 23 and 21, Szuber and Lutz have proven with their play in the AHL that they deserved to be on the Olympic team.
In four years, Szuber will be 27, and Lutz will be 25. A lot can happen in that time frame. Both plan to keep improving and working on their game while making the NHL as full-time players. It is likely the two will also appear in the World Championship over the next couple of summers. One thing is for certain, though. The omission has only lit a fire underneath Lutz and Szuber. Their confidence hasn’t gone away. For the two who call each other brothers, the journey to hockey’s biggest stage has only just begun.
“We’ll be there in the next four years,” Lutz said.
