Am 21.September 1957 Ernst Höfner was born in Augsburg. Today, exactly 60 years later, the father of three daughters is celebrating his anniversary in his adopted home of Rosenheim. Höfner, who, after initial steps with his brother Paul on the frozen local pond in 1974, made the leap from Young Talent to professional ice hockey at the age of 17, is considered an outstanding player both nationally and internationally.
In his first Bundesliga season, he was awarded the Alois Schloder Trophy as the best newcomer in the league with 51 scorer points in 48 games this season. In 1979, the Augsburg native joined SC Riessersee, where he was not only one of the top performers with strike partner Franz Reindl, but also won his first German championship in 1981. In the same year, Höfner also became both the best goalscorer and the second best scorer of all participants at the World Cup in Sweden. He then moved to his current home of Rosenheim, where he won two more championship titles before the end of his career in 1992 and had a decisive influence on the development of the traditional Sportbund Rosenheim club.
After a total of 666 Bundesliga games, 376 goals and 663 assists as well as 140 international matches, six World Championships and two Olympic Games, the native Swabian hung up his skates, or at least half of them. The now 60-year-old only gave up his experience as a coach at the national level later then on the international stage, especially to the young ice hockey talent. At the turn of the century he initiated the founding of the German Young Talent League (DNL); continuous support for German young talent was important to him from the start.
The Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB) wishes him all the best for his 60th birthday!