Hildebrand takes hockey career to Germany
CENTER TWP — Despite having success as a goaltender in the East Coast Hockey League, Jake Hildebrand could sense his hockey career was coming to an end.
The Center Township resident turns 29 next month and he had played for five different ECHL teams from 2015 through 2021.
“I felt like I was pigeon-holed there. I wasn’t really going anywhere,” he said of his career.
Hildebrand was slated to play for the league’s Kalamazoo Wings again in 2020-21, but that organization did not put a team on the ice that season. He wound up suiting up for the Florida Everblades, where he posted a 23-10-5 record, 2.40 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
That performance earned him a call from the Lowen Frankfurt Lions of the DEL2 league in Germany.
“That’s the second German league and teams there want to win it and be elevated to the top league,” Hildebrand explained. “They reach out to North American players to help them get there. The year I had in Florida definitely helped me in that regard.
“I enjoyed my year down there. Playing golf in the sun during the day was a lot of fun.”
Once he arrived in Germany, the weather was a bit different during hockey season.
“Cold, rainy, gray skies, dreary ... It was a bit of a shell-shock,” Hildebrand admitted.
But it was worth it.
Hildebrand wound up being named MVP of the playoffs as he led Lowen Frankfurt to the league championship. He will return to the team for training camp in August as his team will play in the top league in 2022-23.
Germany’s regular season lasts 52 games. Hildebrand played in 34 of them, posting a 24-10 record, 2.01 GAA, a .930 save percentage and five shutouts.
“They play on bigger ice over there and the games are less physical,” Hildebrand said. “The caliber of play is higher than the East Coast league, probably closer to the AHL.”
The second league in Germany allows four imports from North America on team rosters. The top league allows nine imports per team.
Former Pittsburgh Penguin right wing Tom Kuhnhackl is a German player who returned to play in his home country following a stint in the NHL.
“A number of guys in this league have done that,” Hildebrand said. “Our team has a couple of players who played in the NHL and AHL. There’s a lot of those types of players sprinkled throughout the top league. The individual talent level is high there and I’m anxious to see how I do at that level.”
Hildebrand began a side career of working with young goaltenders a couple of years ago. He plans to continue doing so.
“I’m taking my playing career year-to-year now,” he said. “How I do in that top league in Germany next year will go a long way in determining my playing future beyond that.”
He leaves for training camp in mid-August. The playoffs this season ended April 23.
That’s a long time to be away from his home country.
“My mother and sister were able to come over a couple of times this season. They were there when we won the championship and that meant a lot to me,” Hildebrand said. “I don’t know the German language yet — I’m working on it — but most people speak English in Frankfurt, so communication is not an issue.”
Hockey training camp lasts six weeks in Germany. Frankfurt plays teams from other countries in preseason, but not during the regular season.
“My love for hockey came back when I was over there,” Hildebrand said. “I definitely want to keep playing.”
