There is a huge difference between the ice at home of the Ottawa Senator and the six other clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL). Unlike the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks locations, the Canadian Tire Center is not located in the city center, but in Kanata, a suburb about 15 miles west of the capital.

And there is one more thing in Ottawa. Senators aren’t looking for highly talented offspring from a traditional hockey country like Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland or the United States to build their team. Instead, he’s the 19-year-old from the West Germany that they’re hoping for. Although the Ottomans still struggle to pronounce the surname Tim Stotzel, the young German who embodies hope, potential and positivity is truly a fan favorite.

“The excitement around me is so great. But it’s a lot of fun – and I’m really enjoying every second of it,” Schatzel told DW.

Games against gray beard

As the youngest of the NHL’s 750 players, Stützle has to compete with players who were in the league before he was born. One example of this is 41-year-old Joe Thornton, a fierce contender in the Senate, Toronto Maple Leaves. Thornton played his first National Hockey League match on October 8, 1997 – three years, three months, and seven days before Stotzel was born.

Despite his young age and inexperience, the German teenager received a very special assignment. Ottawa Senators assigned Stützle the mission of leading the club in the wilderness for years toward a better and more prosperous future. Your job is to make the senators permanent candidates and competitors for the Stanley Cup. And if you thought that it was too difficult to hold your skinny shoulders, you would be wrong.

“That’s why I’m so tall,” said Stotzel confidently.

Part of the renovation

Ottawa took third place in last fall’s draft – and the fact that it reached that high says something about how badly the senators did last season. The design system is designed to help bad teams improve over time by providing the opportunity to include some of the most talented young players from beginners, college or European ice hockey. Now the Senators are in full redemption mode, with a roster consisting mostly of players in their early 20s – and Stützle will be the face of the club.

“Tim’s skills are incredible.” Senator DJ Smith coach recently said, “Everything is possible for him.”

Speaking to DW earlier this season, Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Drestle described his countryman as a “very talented young man” who had all the tools and “is going to find his way successfully”.

TSN Sports has described Stützle as the most anticipated rookie to hit the Canadian capital since Senator Jason Speza made the second choice in his 2001 draft.

The first goal is highlighting roles

All dies bedeutet nicht, dass der 18. he is. So let’s run a game.

“I tried to prove myself as fast as possible and slowly took a leadership role while on the ice in important situations,” Schötzel said.

In thirty-two games in his rising season, Stützle scored six goals and 13 assists, and his first goal against Toronto on January 16 was impressive.

A tough start to the season

Schötzel says the start of this campaign was “very difficult”. The 5-3 win over Toronto was followed by a series of nine defeats. After 15 matches, the record was 2 and 13. But it looks a bit short. Thirty-five games a season, Ottawa’s record now stands at 12 and 20, along with three wins in Ottawa.

“We play most of the evenings,” Schutzel said. “We have taken a big step forward as a team.” When asked what was the highlight of his rising season in the NHL, Stützle hesitated before settling down on January 15th. That night not only did he turn 19 years old, but he also made his debut in the 5-3 League during the holidays.

Before last October’s draft, Stützle was largely unknown in North America, in part because it didn’t come from the junior or college system. Instead, Stuttgart stayed at home last season to play with the Mannheim Eagles, one of the best teams in the Bundesliga, Dale. He believes playing with seasoned professionals, including former NHL players last year, gave him a huge advantage.

“I was able to learn an incredible amount there, so maybe I would have gone further than if I had played another year against youths elsewhere,” Schutzel said.

Step forward with the youth of the world

He made his North American debut last December when he was captain of Germany at the World Junior Championships in Edmonton. Senators and fan management will be delighted with what they have seen: With five goals and five assists, Stoestel was named the tournament’s best striker when he led Germany to the quarter-finals for the first time in world youth history. He said when he got to Ottawa the excitement was too high.

I am honored to be very grateful. I’m just trying to make it happen and maybe people will like it too. ”

He has done that until now. A Senate-appointed Savior has arrived in the NHL. He fulfilled initial expectations, signaled his potential and brought great luck to success-hungry Ottawa fans. It’s a good start, but that’s it; the beginning.

Adaptation: Chuck Penfold