July 7, 2010 – In this year´s NHL Draft, held in Los Angeles, 210 players from 12 countries were selected by the 30 NHL clubs. 99 come from Canada, 59 from the US, 20 from Sweden, 8 out of Russia, 7 out of Finland, 5 from the Czech Republic and Germany, two each from Switzerland and Slovakia and one from Denmark, Latvia and Norway.

Let's take a look at the five Germans selected and a larger view of notable German NHLers through history.

GERMAN DRAFT CLASS 2010

Tom Kuehnhackl {110. – PIT}, Philipp Grubauer {112. – WAS}, Mirko Hoefflin {151. – CHI}, Konrad Abeltshauser {163. - SJS} and David Elsner {193. – NSH}.

Tom Kuehnhackl (Photo: Georg Gerleigner)

Tom Kuehnhackl, son of Germany´s most popular hockey player Erich Kuehnhackl, was drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although Tom was expected to be drafted earlier he will be quite happy to have the chance to play together with his idol, Sidney Crosby.

Since 2008 he played for the junior teams of Landshut (DNL) and for the Landshut Cannibals in Germany’s second league.  He also appeared in four games for the Augsburger Panthers of the German Elite League (DEL). In his childhood his idol next to his famous daddy had been – his coming teammate Crosby. “In former times I had a dream – and now it becomes reality!”

Kuehnhackl’s father, German hockey legend Erich was born in the Czech Republic and started his hockey life in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where he raised son Tom. Erich won four DEL championships, (1970, 77, 79, 83), the last Olympic Bronze Medal with the German National Team (1976).  The elder Kuehnhackl played 211 games for Team Germany, scoring 131 goals. In the DEL, Kuehnhackl played 774 games, scoring 724 goals and 1,431 total points, and captured many DEL scoring titles.

If son Tom has only a small portion of his father’s skill, he will become a star player.

Next season, Kuehnhackl he will play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Windsor Spitfires, alongside fellow German draftee Philipp Grubauer.  Grubauer was drafted by the Capitals just two spots after Kuehnhackl, and was key in  Windsor’s Memorial Cup victory in Brandon, Manitoba, earlier this Spring.

In all four games (Brandon 9-3, Calgary 6-2, Moncton 4-3 and the final vs. Brandon 7-1) Grubauer stopped 93% of all shots he faced and was named the Memorial Cup’s best goaltender  After a few seasons in the minors he might have the chance to follow in the foot prints of famous German “Olie the Goalie” Olaf Kolzig, who remains a favorite in the US capital.

Mirko Hoefflin was drafted by the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks. Hoefflin played junior for the Mannheim “Little Eagles”  (junior equivalent of the DEL Eagles) and had been very successful during his three years there, winning three junior championships as well as last season’s scoring title. 

17-year-old defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser was drafted by the San Jose Sharks. Abeltshauser plays junior for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL for the express purpose of getting a feel for the smaller North American ice surface.

“It´s a dream – having the chance to play in the best league of the world – that makes every hockey player´s heart beat faster,” exclaimed Abeltshauser, “And San Jose is unbelievable.”

Abelshauser predicts that he’ll be in Halifax for at least one more season.

When looking at the Sharks roster it´s significant that the organization has good connections to Germany because more German players have been drafted by San Jose than by any other team, including Marco Sturm (BOS), Christian Ehrhoff (VAN) and Marcel Goc (NAS), who all started their NHL careers in Silicon Valley. This year, another German could crack the Sharks lineup, as German goaltender Thomas Greiss will compete for the starting job on the heels of Evgeni Nabokov’s departure.

Abeltshauser has good size (6’3”) and weight (198).  A defenseman with an offensive upside, he totaled 25 points in his first junior year, including five goals in 48 games.

David Elsner (Photo: Georg Gerleigner)

David Elsner, who played together with Kuehnhackl for his hometown Landshut in the 2^nd league will join the DEL’s Ingolstadt Panthers.

The eyes of the NHL are everywhere and so the scouts from Nashville realized that Elsner was worth drafting, albeit in the last round. Last season, Elsner played with the Landshut Cannibals, scoring six goals in 29 games. 

Former NHLer and coach of the junior Lanshut club, Mike Bullard, notes that the fact that Elsner’s command of the English language will give him an advantage in his attempt to make the climb to the NHL.

GERMANS OF NOTE CURRENTLY IN THE NHL

Players with German roots have played in the NHL for a long time, some to remarkable success.

During WWII and the years preceding it, the prejudicially-named “Kraut Line” a trio which included Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart--who all German roots--enjoyed great success and helped bring two Stanley Cups titles to Boston in 1939 and 1941.

Olaf Kolzig - better known under his nicknames ´Olie the goalie` and ´Godzilla` - played 20 years for the Capitals, leading them to a Stanley Cup final appearance in 1998.

But after pioneer Uwe Krupp (drafted as # 223 by the Sabres in 1983, nickname ‘King Kong’) led the way, the Germans gained more acceptance. Krupp had a great career with his highlight in 1996 when he scored the Cup winning goal for Colorado.  Krupp now coaches the German National Team.

Marco Sturm drafted 21^st overall by San Jose in 1996 and has become a leader on the ice. This year he scored the game-winning goal at the Winter Classic in Fenway Park in Boston.

Jochen Hecht drafted #49 in 1995 has played 755 games for St. Louis, Edmonton and Buffalo.  Hecht is a shining example of a hard worker on the ice that makes him to wear the “C” or at least the “A”.

Christoph Schubert spent three seasons in the minors with AHL Binghamton Senators before joining the Ottawa Senators. The defenseman now plays for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Marcel Goc (#20 – San Jose´s 1^st choice in ´01) signed a contract extension with the Predators season. 

Dennis Seidenberg is a ‘stay-at-home-defender’ who is very important for his team´s success. Shortly before the trading deadline he signed with the Bruins a contract for $13M over four seasons.

Goalie Thomas Greiss had been backup of G Evgeni Nabokov for the Sharks in San Jose who didn´t get a contract extension and the German could get the starting position after his work last season. His rival for the job will be Finnish netminder Antero Niittymaki.

YOUNG GERMAN PLAYERS OF NOTE:

D Justin Krueger (drafted by Carolina).  One assist at World Championships this Spring in Germany.

F Felix Schuetz (BUF/Portland {AHL}) who also played a great World Championship, scoring two game winning goals.

D Robert Dietrich (NSH/Milwaukee)

D Korbinian Holzer (TOR/Marlies {AHL})

REMEMBERING WILLIE HUBER

Willie Huber 1958-2010 (Photo: NY Rangers)

On June 28, 2010, German-born defenseman Willie Huber succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 52 in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.

William Heinrich (“Willie”) Huber was born in Germany, January 17, 1958. At 10 months of age, his parents left their German home of Strasskirchen and emigrated to Hamilton, Ont. There, he learned the basics of hockey and started his career in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League with the Hamilton Fincups in 1975 and directly won the OMJHL-Championship as well as the Memorial Cup. He also appeared in some games for the Canadian Junior Hockey Team.

In 1978 he was drafted in the first round, ninth overall, by the Detroit Red Wings. After four seasons the defender left for the NY Rangers and became a journeyman, who was sent to Vancouver, then Philly. Huber retired after 10 seasons, scoring 104 goals and 217 assists in 655 NHL games.
 

Stat links courtesy www.Hockeydb.com

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Ivo Jaschick reports on hockey from Germany and across Europe.

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