NHL players from German-speaking countries have enjoyed great success in recent decades
For the first few decades of its now 100-year history, the NHL was a purely North American affair. It was not until January 25, 1965 that the first European, the Swede Ulf Sterner, stepped onto this big stage. Another 26 years would pass before Udo Kießling, the first player from the German-speaking region, pulled on the jersey of an NHL club. In the following years, however, more and more players from Germany, Switzerland and Austria found their way overseas. Although none of them made it into the top 100, some of them celebrated triumphs and left a lasting impression.
For Kießling, the NHL guest appearance was over after his first appearance for the Minnesota North Stars. His fellow countryman Uli Hiemer, on the other hand, was not so quick to retire. He wore the jersey of the New Jersey Devils from 1984 to 1987 and is the first German with a long-term NHL engagement. In 1988, Ken Baumgartner, the first player with a Swiss passport, made his debut. At the time, he was under contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Austria's premiere in the person of goalkeeper Reinhard Divis (St. Louis Blues) had to wait until 2002.
The three pioneers brought in numerous compatriots over the years. Exactly how many there have been to date depends on whether you include the naturalized players or not. If you leave these out, 30 Swiss, 26 Germans and seven Austrians have played at least one game in the NHL. Marco Sturm (Germany/938), Mark Streit (Switzerland/747) and Thomas Vanek (Austria/854) recorded the most appearances.
In the current 2016/17 season, 17 Swiss, seven Germans and three Austrians are active for their respective clubs. This statistic reflects well the current balance of power. In recent years it has been mainly the Swiss who have regularly placed new players with clubs in the NHL. This is unlikely to change in the coming years. The Swiss talents are regularly better positioned in drafts than their German or Austrian contemporaries.
Another statistic gives the Germans some consolation. Three players from their ranks have gone down in the annals as Stanley Cup winners. One more than in Switzerland. Uwe Krupp was the first German to have his name engraved on the silver cup. In 1996, the defender won the title with the Colorado Avalanche. In 2002, the Cologne native won the Stanley Cup again. However, he was not immortalized on the Cup this time as he only played eight games that season and did not appear in the finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Second in the league is Dennis Seidenberg. He won the title with the Boston Bruins in 2011. Last year, Tom Kühnhackl followed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The two Swiss who lifted the Stanley Cup were David Aebischer (2001/Colorado Avalanche) and Martin Gerber (2006/Carolina Hurricanes).
An Austrian has not yet received Stanley Cup honors. After all, Thomas Vanek won the NHL Plus/Minus Award in the 2006/07 season. Wearing the Buffalo Sabers jersey, he had a score of +47 after the main round.
It is undoubtedly a shame that none of the players mentioned were included in the top 100. But when you consider that even from the important European nations Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic, only four players each appear on the list, the decision is at least understandable.
Source: Axel Jeroma / NHL.com/de