German hockey spring ?! - World Juniors 2015

Last year all eyes were focused on Leon Draisaitl on his way to end up beeing a top 3 pick in the draft. This years Team Germany comes in with depth, in one of the best times for German hockey players in north america.


For the first time since 1996 Germany will play their 3rd World Junior Championship in a row after they avoided relegation with a 3-1 win in Game 3 over Norway. While the Edmonton Oilers resisted to let Draisaitl go, the team will need to step it up without last years captain.

Time seems to change for German hockey players abroad with the early pick of Draisaitl and young guys like Tobias Rieder making their NHL debuts. One thing remains the same: In order to be recognized, German players are almost forced to go overseas.

Germanys best youth goal scorer (26 points for Germany U-20) did so at the age of 17 after beeing picked by the Kitchener Rangers. Edmonton drafted him 4th round in 2011 before trading him down south to Phoenix. The 21-year old Rieder has 4 goals and 2 assists in just 9 games for the Arizona Coyotes, including 2 short-handed goals in a single shift against Edmonton.

"Remaining in the top division is the only chance to give young German hockey players the chance to compete on a high level and to recommend themselves for major tasks." This year the group stage is even tougher as they meet Canada, USA, Slovakia and Finland at Bell Centre. Recently promoted Denmark is likely to be the opponent when it comes to the relegation round.

Kevin Reich as starter at the Under 18 WJC 2013

Kevin Reich, who was already draft eligable this year, is in his 2nd season on loan from his club Red Bull Munich. He earned a starting job for the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) after playing for Dubuque last spring. Back-ups will be last season U-18 WJC starter Florian Proske and MHL starter Ilya Sharipov out of the Red Bull Junior Hockey program.

20-year old Cologne native Marvin Cupper, who was the starter for the last two World Juniors, plays his 3rd season as starter for the Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) still fighting for his NHL dream.

David Trinkberger in action for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, MI

Coming in at 6'5'' and 207 lbs, defenseman David Trinkberger is probably Germanys biggest hope for the 2015 draft. This summer he left his hometown Landshut to play for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, replacing his fellow countryman Janik Moeser. Favourite player ? Bruins Dennis Seidenberg.

Another defenseman to watch out for next years draft is Kai Wissmann from the Eisbären Berlin.
Just like Trinkberger, the 6'3'' defender makes his World Junior debut after playing in the under 18 WJC last season.

Back on the big stage are Tim Bender, who made his way back to Germany after playing for the OHL's London Knight in 13-14, and Janik Moeser playing for Ohio State in the Big 10.
Moeser was last years top scoring defender for Team Germany with 3 points in 7 games.
Both are Mannheim natives and former teammates of Leon Draisaitl for the Adler Mannheim youth.

Domink Kahun scoring his 1st DEL goal for Red Bull Munich in November

Last years top scorer Dominik Kahun has left the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) after two successfull seasons to return to Germany. The two-way forward and former linemate of Leon Draisaitl has buried his NHL dream and wants to improve his game in Germanys top division DEL. He's currently on loan to 2nd tier team SC Riessersee where he has 5 goals and 4 assists in just 9 games.

Minnesota bound are four of this teams forwards. Winger Marc Michaelis has 31 points in 27 games for the Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) which earned him a promotion to the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) the team Kevin Reich plays for.
20-year old Lukas Laub, teammate of Denis Shevyrin at the Minnesota Magicians, is now the teams leading scorer with 13 goals and 10 assists in 26 games.

Mannheim native Michaelis will join his former Adler teammate Parker Tuomie at Minnesota State (NCAA) next season. The German-American Tuomie is in his 2nd season abroad, where he has 13 points in 22 games for the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL).

A German player called Sturm playing for the Bruins ? Yes indeed, Nico Sturm of the Austin Bruins (NAHL), not related to former Bruins forward Marco Sturm, is making his World Junior debut. The 19-year old has 15 points in 28 games for Austin after he left Kaufbeuren to play for Corpus Cristi last spring.

Markus Eisenschmid celebrating his goal against Norway (Game 2 Relegation Round)

Already appearing in his 3rd WJC is Frederik Tiffels who had 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 games last year. Just like Draisatil he's a Cologne native that has played for the Adler Mannheim Youth team, before joining Muskegon in 2012. This season he has 9 points in 11 games for Western Michigan University (NCAA).

Markus Eisenschmid is not just part of this years WJC roster but also of a hockey rich family.
His older sister Tanja plays defense at University of South Dakota and has competed at the Olympics in Sochi, just like his younger sister Nicola who still plays in Germany.
19-year old Markus is on pace to easily beat his 23 points from last season, as he has already 17 on the board in just 14 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL.

The forward group is wraped up with 3 guys from the Red Bull MHL team out of Salzburg, including Vladislav Filin (6 G / 3 A / 34 GP), Andreas Eder (15 G / 15 A / 35 GP) and Maximilan Kammerer (2 G / 8 A / 19 GP).

Roster facts:

• 9 players play in North America (4 USHL, 2 NAHL, 2 NCAA, 1 WHL)
• 5 players who have played in North America last season returned to Germany
• 11 players make their return after avoiding relegation in last years WJC 
• Frederik Tiffels and Dominik Kahun playing in their 3rd World Junior Championship
• 10 players are developed through the Adler Mannheim youth, 7 of them played on the team with Leon Draisaitl
• 6 players have played for Landshut youth, 4 for the Eisbären Berlin and 3 for Kaufbeuren
• 6 players are part of the Red Bull Youth Hockey program