Leon Draisaitl & Co.: Germany's 100-NHL-points club
Leon Draisaitl has just passed Marco Sturm to become the German player with the most points in the NHL. Here we take a look at the Germans who have scored at least 100-points in the NHL careers.
Leon Draisaitl: Top German NHL scorer (488 points)
With a goal and an assist against the Winnipeg Jets, Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers has moved past Marco Sturm to become Germany's top scorer in the National Hockey League. Still just 25, the winner of last year's Art Ross Trophy for scoring the most points in a pandemic-shortened season has plenty of time ahead of him to add to his total.
Now No.2: Marco Sturm (487 points)
Unlike Draisaitl, Marco Sturm wasn't a pure goal scorer, but more of a two-way forward, so it took much longer for him to compile his 487 regular season points (242 goals, 245 assists). Sturm hit the 20-goal plateau in 7 of his 16 NHL seasons with six different teams, although for the bulk of his 938 games he suited up for the Boston Bruins and earlier the San Jose Sharks.
No. 3: Jochen Hecht (463 points)
Drafted by the St- Louis Blues in the second round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Jochen Hecht spent 11 of his 14 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, where he became one of the team's top two-way forwards. It took Hecht 833 games to amass his 463 NHL points (186 goals, 277 assists). He also represented Germany at 3 Olympic Games between 1998 and 2010.
No. 4: Christian Ehrhoff (339 points)
Christian Ehrhoff was drafted by the San Jose Sharks, where he spent 5 of his 14 NHL seasons. It took Ehrhoff 789 games to rack up his 339 points and as a defenseman, it's no suprise that the bulk of his points came in the form of helpers (74 goals, 265 assists). As he had left the NHL by 2018, he was able to play in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, helping Germany win the silver medal.
No. 5: Uwe Krupp (281 points)
Uwe Krupp (left) played 729 games in the NHL over 15 seasons, collecting 69 goals and 212 assists for 281 points. He's seen here playing for Colorado in the Stanley Cup finals - in which he would score the winning goal that gave the Avalanche their first NHL title. In doing so, he also became the first German to hoist Lord Stanley's silverware.
No. 6: Dennis Seidenberg (251 points)
Seen here skating with his last NHL team, the New York Islanders, it was with the Boston Bruins in 2010-11 that Dennis Seidenberg (left) became the second German after Uwe Krupp to win the Stanley Cup. Over his 18 NHL seasons with 6 different teams, the blueliner scored 44 goals and added 207 assists for a total of 251 points. He also represented Germany at 3 Olympic Games between 2002 and 2010.
No. 7: Marcel Goc (188 points)
Like Marco Sturm and Christian Ehrhoff, Marcel Goc was drafted by the San Jose Sharks - 20th overall in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. The centerman skated for 6 different teams over his 12-year NHL career, bending the twine 75 times to go along with 133 assists. Arguably his greatest achievement was captaining Germany to the silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
No. 8: Tobias Rieder (145 points)
The only other active player on the list, Tobias Rieder is now at his 5th team in his 7th season in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres. In his 465 games so far (as of April 8, 2021) the right winger has scored 64 goals and chipped in 81 assists for 145 points. Rieder is also a member of the German national team
Germany's next member of the 100-point club?
Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators (second from right) is in his rookie season in the NHL, but observers agree that he's got all the tools to become a big star. Could he reach the 100-point plateau next? Or will Dominik Kahun (79 points as of April 27, 2021) of the Edmonton Oilers beat him to the punch?
Honorable mention: Dany Heatley (791 points)
Dany Heatley is actually the German-born player with the most points in the NHL (791). Born in Freiburg to a Canadian hockey-playing father and German mother, unlike the others on this list, Heatley didn't learn the game in Germany, as the family moved to Canada when he was still a toddler. He also chose to represent Canada, winning Olympic gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. Not very German...