The agreement with the Germany Ice Hockey Association (DEB) was agreed following the team’s success at the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship Division I Group A.

On home ice in Bremerhaven, Kuenast coached the side to a second place finish, improving from their position of fifth the previous year in Vienna, Austria.

Belarus ended up topping the group by two points, earning them promotion to the competition’s top level in 2018.

Kuenast, a former goaltender who was part of the Germany team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2001 IIHF World Championships, was originally hired to the post in 2015.

“I’m looking forward to the ongoing co-operation with the German Ice Hockey Association and to continue my work,” he said.

Along with Kuenast, the team’s science and education coach Stefan Schaidnagel has also seen his contract extended, although he takes up the new role of sports director.

“Stefan Schaidnagel brought in enormous commitment and knowledge,” said DEB President Franz Reindl.

“His competence in sports is well acknowledged and he played a significant part in the [team’s] very positive development.”

Germany have won two Winter Olympic bronze medals in men’s ice hockey.

Their first came at Lake Placid in 1932 and the other was won as West Germany at Innsbruck 1976.

The men’s team last qualified for the Winter Olympics in 2010, where they finished 11^th in Vancouver.

At Sochi 2014, Germany’s women’s team participated and came seventh.