Jennifer Harß, known to everyone as Jenny, was born in 1987. She began her ice hockey career in her hometown at EV Füssen, played for the national team for the first time in 2004/05, when she was 17, and has had a great career with 221 national team appearances. After the 2021/22 season, she decided to hang up the goalkeeper mask and skates. That's why we conducted a short interview with her.
How and why did you decide to end your career?
Jenny Harß: I'm 34 years old now and have played internationally for quite a long time. The time has now come for me that I think it's enough.
Was there a specific trigger for this or was it already clear before the season?
Jenny Harß: Yes, I think it's common for women to stop after the Olympic cycle. My goal was to go to the Olympics again, but unfortunately that didn't work out. My planning went all the way to Beijing and now at the end of the season I thought about it again, thought about it and finally realized that the fire is no longer as big as it was in the past and that it is therefore a good time to stop.
How did you actually get into ice hockey?
Jenny Harß: I basically come from a very sporty family and since there are many lakes in the Allgäu, you definitely have to be able to ice skate here. My dad and my brother also played ice hockey and because I always wanted to do what my older brother did, I played ice hockey, tennis and soccer and I enjoyed ice hockey the most and that's why I chose it.
Was it nice to play with your brother for a long time?
Jenny Harß: Yes, definitely. It was really cool to be on a team with my brother.
Not only did you play with boys all the time in Young Talent, but you also played with men for almost your entire career. So that wasn't anything special at all. Nevertheless, you certainly noticed differences.
Jenny Harß: Yes, that’s true. It was like that from a young age, it wasn't particularly special anymore. The biggest differences are of course the physical ones. First and foremost, this influences the hardness of the shots, which of course plays a role for me as a goalkeeper, and also the speed of the game.
Which ice hockey people and which ice hockey era influenced you the most?
Jenny Harß: My time in college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth had a big impact on me because I played there with many international players from Canada, Sweden, Finland and the USA. That's definitely where I learned the most.
What was your greatest success?
Jenny Harß: So at the Olympic Games in Turin, that was a great tournament and also the 2017 World Cup. I particularly fondly remember my first league game. Back then it was for EV Füssen. I stepped in as a junior and was even allowed to play for a few minutes in Miesbach. I think I was even the first woman in the major league.
What was your best game?
Jenny Harß: If you, as a goalkeeper, manage a shutout in the game for fifth place at the Olympics in Turin and then win the penalty shootout against Russia, then this game definitely has to be mentioned in 5. Otherwise there were definitely some good ones…
What was the most exciting and successful ice hockey trip?
Jenny Harß: At the 2017 World Championships in Plymouth, Michigan, we made it to the semi-finals and ended up fourth. That was very successful and a great tournament all around. There was also a story about a cell phone that was stolen that we were trying to track down, which I won't soon forget.
What are you doing now after your playing career?
Jenny Harß: I will definitely stay connected to ice hockey and my goal is of course to advance ice hockey in Germany in general and women's ice hockey in particular.
Do you have a wish for ice hockey?
Jenny Harß: In general, I would like ice hockey to grow and thrive so much that it becomes the number 1 sport in Germany, from which women's ice hockey will of course also benefit.
Thank you for the interview and good luck in your career after your career!