According to CEO Gernot Tripcke, the irritation is that the NHL scheduled matches without consulting the parties involved.
"They announced their matches in isolation, without consulting the clubs, us or the German Hockey Association. This is contrary to the schedule of the 28 professional clubs here in Germany," says Tripcke.
They could have handled this better.
In March, the NHL announced that two regular-season games would be played in Germany, and in August it became clear that several games are planned for next year.
German star Tim Stützle's Ottawa will face Chicago in Düsseldorf on December 18 and 20.
