Who is the Best German Hockey Player Ever?

[robertmac43]

With the Olympics going on and the big upset over Sweden I have been wondering who is the best German player of all time. Thoughts?

Also the German jerseys are freaking amazing at these Olympics!

Click to read more...

 

[kalle wirsch]

Erich Kühnhackl,Leon Draisaitl

 

[filip85]

Erich Kuhnhackl by far....he could have been NHL star.

 

[Albatros]

Kühnhackl and it's not even close. Honorable mention to Udo Kießling.

 

[GermanNuck]

Kuhns sr. No doubt about that

 

[Zaar]

In relation to the peers in their era, I'm pretty sure Erich would take the cake.
Leon Draisaitl may change this. We'll see ...

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

I'd go with Kühnhackl aswell, honorable mention to Didi Hegen for his speed, skill and unreal stats.

 

[TorstenFrings]

I'd go with Kühnhackl aswell, honorable mention to Didi Hegen for his speed, skill and unreal stats.

Hegen - 2x Truntschka might have a claim to best line tbh. Neither Hegen nor Gerd Truntschka (certainly not Bernd) trumps Kühnhackl, but they sure were fun together.

 

[Maverick41]

Erich Kühnhackl is the clear number one. Leon Draisaitl might change that one day.

I think Marco Sturm and Uwe Krupp should be considered in the next tier with guys like Kießling and Hegen.
A few other names I want to throw out there are Uli Hiemer, Helmut Steiger and Miro Sikora (I am biased because he was my first favourite hockey player ever).

It's always difficult to include goalies in such a conversation, so maybe they should be viewed separately, but we have had some really good goalies.
Obviously there is Olaf Kölzig, but there were also Helmut de Raaf, Josef Heiß, Klaus Merk and Karl Friesen.
I probablyhave forgotten someone.

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

It's always difficult to include goalies in such a conversation, so maybe they should be viewed separately, but we have had some really good goalies.
Obviously there is Olaf Kölzig, but there were also Helmut de Raaf, Josef Heiß, Klaus Merk and Karl Friesen.
I probablyhave forgotten someone.

That's a good point. As Rosenheimer my obvious choice is Karl Friesen, though I've always thought highly of de Raaf and Peppi Heiß aswell. Another pick of mine would be Robert Müller, undersized but great positioning and reflexes.

 

[Maverick41]

That's a good point. As Rosenheimer my obvious choice is Karl Friesen, though I've always thought highly of de Raaf and Peppi Heiß aswell. Another pick of mine would be Robert Müller, undersized but great positioning and reflexes.

I agree about Müller, unfortunately his career and worse, his life was cut short by cancer. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer he had some impressive performances. Including that playoff game in 2008 with 6 OTs, where he literally made 100 saves or close to it, I am not entirely sure what the number was.

I always considered de Raaf the best goalie in those days, but I liked Friesen's style of play the most. I remember him as always being so cool and calm almost stoic. He never seemed to move any more than he had to.

 

[Eye of Ra]

was not peter draisaitl a good player?

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

I agree about Müller, unfortunately his career and worse, his life was cut short by cancer. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer he had some impressive performances. Including that playoff game in 2008 with 6 OTs, where he literally made 100 saves or close to it, I am not entirely sure what the number was.

I always considered de Raaf the best goalie in those days, but I liked Friesen's style of play the most. I remember him as always being so cool and calm almost stoic. He never seemed to move any more than he had to.

Yeah, Rob's life got cut way too short.

Karl Friesen did not just look stoic & calm on ice, he was also a shy and soft spoken person off the ice. I remember one of his interviews in particular, talking about his NA career. He didn't want to play the rough & tough style the NHL sported back then and prefered to play in Europe. A true legend of Rosenheim's hockey!

 

[Bluesguru]

No mention of Walt Tkachuk or Jochen Hecht? Maybe not the best ever but they deserve to be mentioned.

 

[ebergeist]

Erich Kühnhackl
Udo Kießling
Dieter Hegen

 

[Bure80]

Erich Kühnhackl
Udo Kießling
Dieter Hegen

Gerd Truntschka belongs to that list

 

[Eisdork]

Definitely Rudi Ball. Although none of us ever saw him skate. I'm not sure if any footage of him playing even exists.
Rudi Ball - Wikipedia

 

[Halfdan]

The question is not sufficiently differentiated. The requirements in ice hockey are constantly increasing and are different for each position.

1960 – 1969 Goalie: Kehle, Anton
1960 – 1969 Defender: Ambros, Paul
1960 – 1969 Forward: Hanig, Gustav

1970 – 1979 Goalie: Makatsch, Rainer
1970 – 1979 Defender: Berndaner, Ignaz
1970 – 1979 Forward: Kühnhackl, Erich

1980 – 1989 Goalie: De Raaf, Helmut
1980 – 1989 Defender: Kießling, Udo
1980 – 1989 Forward: Truntschka, Gerd

1990 – 1999 Goalie: Kölzig, Olaf
1990 – 1999 Defender: Krupp, Uwe
1990 – 1999 Forward: Ustorf, Stefan

2000 – 2009 Goalie: Müller, Robert
2000 – 2009 Defender: Seidenberg, Dennis
2000 – 2009 Forward: Sturm, Marco

2010 – 2019 Goalie: Grubauer, Phillipp
2010 – 2019 Defender: Ehrhoff, Christian
2010 – 2019 Forward: Draiseitl, Leon

 

[NHL WAR]

Definitely not the best, but Marcel Goc had a solid NHL career.

 

[PenDuhNotPittsburgh]

I'd throw in Kölzig. Goaltending is part of the game fellas^^

 

[Albatros]

Kölzig was great, but about as German as a hockey player as Dany Heatley. I'd go for Udo Kießling as the best German-trained one.

 

[1PetePeeters]

The question is not sufficiently differentiated. The requirements in ice hockey are constantly increasing and are different for each position.

1960 – 1969 Goalie: Kehle, Anton
1960 – 1969 Defender: Ambros, Paul
1960 – 1969 Forward: Hanig, Gustav

1970 – 1979 Goalie: Makatsch, Rainer
1970 – 1979 Defender: Berndaner, Ignaz
1970 – 1979 Forward: Kühnhackl, Erich

1980 – 1989 Goalie: De Raaf, Helmut
1980 – 1989 Defender: Kießling, Udo
1980 – 1989 Forward: Truntschka, Gerd

1990 – 1999 Goalie: Kölzig, Olaf
1990 – 1999 Defender: Krupp, Uwe
1990 – 1999 Forward: Ustorf, Stefan

2000 – 2009 Goalie: Müller, Robert
2000 – 2009 Defender: Seidenberg, Dennis
2000 – 2009 Forward: Sturm, Marco

2010 – 2019 Goalie: Grubauer, Phillipp
2010 – 2019 Defender: Ehrhoff, Christian
2010 – 2019 Forward: Draiseitl, Leon

As I am 61 of age and saw a lot of german hockey in the seventies,eighties and nineties i can say:
the list is well done Sir.

 

[Howie Hodge]

No mention of Walt Tkachuk or Jochen Hecht? Maybe not the best ever but they deserve to be mentioned.

Walt "Tkaczuk" was a a very good player. I have to forget Stan Fischlers obsession with him to remember that he was very good for several years.

There's a lot about Stan Fischler I try to forget...

 

[Albatros]

Tkaczuk was born in Germany to Ukrainian refugee parents fleeing the Soviet regime. Possibly his father had been a collaborator during the war, but otherwise his ties are pretty thin, birthplace more of a coincidence.

 

[Gert B Frobe]

Not sure about Erich Kühnhackl as I never saw him play. But how can so many say he's the best ever when he never played in a good league? Isn't that German league pretty low level? I don't know, that's why I'm asking.