Jochen Hecht facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jochen Hecht |
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Hecht, 2024
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| Born | 21 June 1977 Mannheim, West Germany |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Adler Mannheim St. Louis Blues Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres |
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| National team |  Germany |
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| NHL Draft | 49th overall, 1995 St. Louis Blues |
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| Playing career | 1994–2016 | ||
Jochen Thomas Hecht (born June 21, 1977) is a German ice hockey coach. He used to be a professional ice hockey player.
He played 833 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Buffalo Sabres. He also started and finished his career with Adler Mannheim in Germany's top league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Since March 2022, he has been an assistant coach for Adler Mannheim.
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Playing career
Early Years and NHL Draft
When Jochen Hecht was young, he played in famous hockey tournaments. He took part in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 1990 and 1991.
The St. Louis Blues picked Hecht in the second round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 49th player chosen overall. At that time, he was playing for Adler Mannheim in Germany.
Time in the NHL
Hecht played two full seasons for the St. Louis Blues. He scored 32 goals and made 46 assists during this time. In 2001, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers.
After playing one season with the Oilers, Hecht was traded again. This time, he went to the Buffalo Sabres in 2002. With the Sabres, Hecht had his best season in the NHL. In the 2006–07 season, he scored 56 points. This included 19 goals and 37 assists.
Hecht was chosen as the captain for the Buffalo Sabres for a month in October 2007 and again in February 2008. He was only the second German-born player to be a captain in the NHL. On October 16, 2007, Hecht signed a new contract to stay with the Sabres until 2012. He scored his 300th career point on October 26, 2007.
In 2011, Hecht returned to his hometown of Mannheim with the Sabres for a special game. Even though he was injured and couldn't play, the fans gave him a huge cheer when he skated onto the ice.
Return to Germany and Retirement
In January 2012, Hecht got a concussion and missed the rest of the season. After that, he became a free agent. He decided to return to Adler Mannheim in Germany.
On April 26, 2013, Hecht announced he was retiring from the NHL. He wanted to finish his playing career back in Mannheim. In 2015, he helped Adler Mannheim win their third German championship. He had won two earlier titles with them in 1997 and 1998, before his NHL career. Hecht played for three more years in Germany before retiring from professional hockey in 2016.
International play
Jochen Hecht played for the German national team many times. He played in four games at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He scored a goal and an assist, and Germany finished eighth.
He was also chosen for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. However, he got injured in his last NHL game before the Olympics and could not play. He also played in four World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Germany between 1994 and 1997. He shares the record for playing the most games in these championships.
Coaching career
After he stopped playing, Hecht became a player development coach for Adler Mannheim on August 2, 2016. He also worked as an assistant coach for the German men's national team in 2016.
In July 2017, Hecht became an assistant coach for Adler Mannheim. He left the club in May 2018 to get more coaching licenses. He also worked as an ice hockey expert for German TV. On March 29, 2022, he returned to Adler Mannheim as an assistant coach.
