Erich Kühnhackl

Erich Kühnhackl
Born	(1950-10-17) 17 October 1950 Citice, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight	213 lb (97 kg; 15 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	EV Landshut (Germany) Kölner Haie (Germany) EHC Olten (Switzerland)
National team	West Germany
Playing career	1968–1989

Erich Kühnhackl

Medal record
Men’s ice hockey
Representing West Germany
Olympic Games
	1976 Innsbruck	Team Competition

Erich Kühnhackl (born 17 October 1950 in Citice, Czechoslovakia) is a retired German ice hockey player born and raised in Czechoslovakia. He and his parents emigrated from their homeland after the Soviet occupation in 1968.

He won four German Championships and a bronze medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, is widely regarded as the best German hockey player ever and was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1997. Kühnhackl was also named the German ice hockey player of the Century in 2000. His nickname "Kleiderschrank auf Kufen" (wardrobe on skates) refers to his mighty appearance.

After his playing career Kühnhackl worked as coach of the EV Landshut, German National Team, EC Bad Nauheim, Erding Jets, Polar Bears Regensburg and the Straubing Tigers . Since 2008 he serves as Vice President of the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund and is currently also a sport director for the Frankfurt Lions of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .

In 2010, his son Tom was drafted in the 4th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Career

• won German Championships: 1970 with EV Landshut, 1977 and 1979 with Kölner Haie, 1983 with EV Landshut
• German Player of the Year (1978, 1980, 1983)
• 211 international games played (131 G) including 3 Olympic Games and 10 World Championships
• won a bronze medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck
• first German Top Scorer at the World Championships 1978 (15 points)
• 774 German league games (724 G, 707 A, 1431 PTS, 1110 PIM)
• All-Star Team of the German Bundesliga 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84
• Gustav-Jaenecke Cup (Best Scorer) 1973/74, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1982/83 and 1983/84
• Fritz-Poitsch-Trophy (Best Goalscorer) 1973/74 and 1979/80
• Xaver-Unsinn-Trophy (Most Assists) 1973/74, 1977/78, 1982/83 and 1983/84
• German ice hockey player of the Century 2000

External links

• Erich Kühnhackl's Career Stats
• IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame bio