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Kölner Haie: Defense construction site! Will Bailen really leave town?
Straubing defeated the Kölner Haie 4:3. Coach Jalonen comments on the team's inconsistent performance. KEC under pressure.
Kölner Haie: Defense construction site! Will Bailen really leave town?
Shock for the Cologne Sharks! On Sunday they lost an exciting DEL game against the Straubing Tigers 3:4 in their home Lanxess Arena. Around 17,848 spectators were looking forward to a victory, but the team was unable to convince. Despite a comeback from goalkeeper Julius Hudacek, who was injured for three weeks, there was a lack of defensive stability. Coach Kari Jalonen expressed disappointment: “We allowed too many easy goals.” The Haie end the weekend with just one point after also losing in Nuremberg. With just 41 points from 28 games, they are in sixth place in the table and are putting their playoff qualification at risk, especially since they botched this phase last season when they fell sharply over the same period ksta.de reported.
Uncertain fate for Bailen
Added to this is the uncertain fate of defender Nick Bailen, who has been missing since mid-November. According to reports, the 35-year-old could soon return to the KHL, where he already played for Dinamo Minsk and Chelyabinsk. Russian media report that Bailen is looking for a new team and is considering a return to Russia. This would ultimately be a financial relief for the KEC, as he has a contract that runs until 2026 and is one of the highest-earning players in the team. However, the foreigner's license that Bailen holds cannot be transferred to another player, which puts Cologne under pressure on the defensive. Sports director Matthias Baldys was already planning to use this license strategically and announced possible transfers by mid-February, such as haie.de reported.
The Haie's next game is on Thursday against Bremerhaven, and the team urgently needs to score points to avoid slipping down the table.