Tom Kühnhackl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Kühnhackl
Kühnhackl with the Adler Mannheim in 2023
Born	(1992-01-21) 21 January 1992 (age 33) Landshut, Germany
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
DEL team Former teams	Adler Mannheim Augsburger Panther Pittsburgh Penguins New York Islanders Skellefteå AIK
National team	Germany
NHL Draft	110th overall, 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2009–present

Tom Kühnhackl (born on January 21, 1992) is a professional ice hockey player from Germany. He currently plays for Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), which is Germany's top ice hockey league. Before this, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders.

Tom was considered a very promising young player for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. This is an event where NHL teams choose young players to join their clubs. He was ranked as the eighth-best European skater and was picked 110th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He moved to North America in 2010 to play for the Windsor Spitfires. After playing for teams connected to the Penguins, Tom made his first appearance in the NHL in 2016.

Tom's Hockey Journey

Starting in Germany

Tom Kühnhackl began playing youth hockey in 2007 for the Landshut Cannibals team in Germany. He played alongside another future hockey star, Tobias Rieder. Tom first played professionally during the 2008–09 season. He played 42 games for Landshut's main team in the 2nd Bundesliga, which was the second-highest league in Germany. In the 2009–10 season, he also played four games in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for the Augsburger Panther.

Moving to North America

In 2009, Tom was chosen by the Windsor Spitfires in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. This draft allows Canadian teams to pick players from other countries. He planned to join the Spitfires for the 2009–10 season, but injuries kept him in Germany. In May 2010, he officially signed with the Spitfires to play for them in the 2010–11 season.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Tom as the eighth-best European skater for the 2010 NHL Draft. He was very happy when the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him, as they were his favorite team. On March 22, 2011, he signed a three-year contract with the Penguins.

Tom had a great 2010–11 season with Windsor, scoring 39 goals and 29 assists for 68 points in 63 games. He played a few games for the Spitfires in the 2011–12 season before being traded to the Niagara IceDogs.

Kühnhackl played 42 games in his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Playing in the NHL

Tom made his professional debut in the 2012–13 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. This team is connected to the Pittsburgh Penguins and plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). However, he got injured after only 11 games and needed surgery on his shoulder, which ended his season.

On February 20, 2016, Tom scored his very first NHL goal while playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored a special goal called a "shorthanded breakaway goal." After playing 28 games and getting 6 points, Tom signed a new two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 14.

Tom had an amazing time with the Penguins during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. His team won against the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and San Jose Sharks to win the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is one of the most famous trophies in ice hockey. Tom became the third German-born NHL player to win the Cup. In 2017, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup again! This made Tom the first German-born NHL player to win the Stanley Cup twice with the same team.

After the 2017–18 season, Tom's contract with the Penguins ended. He then signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on July 2, 2018. On January 22, 2021, he joined the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, another team connected to the Islanders, and signed a new contract with them.

Returning to Europe

After playing for eleven seasons in North America, Tom decided to return to Europe. On August 12, 2021, he signed a two-year contract with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League.

When his time in Sweden was over, Tom came back to Germany. On May 2, 2023, he signed a three-year contract with Adler Mannheim in the DEL, where he plays now.

Playing for Germany

Tom has proudly represented Germany in many international hockey tournaments. He played in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2008 and 2009. He also played in the IIHF World U18 Championships in 2009 and 2010, and the IIHF World U20 Championships in 2010 and 2011.

He first played for the senior German national team in an exhibition game in 2016. A few days later, he scored the winning goal in a game against Latvia. This important goal helped Germany qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. He also played for Germany in the 2021 IIHF World Championship and the 2022 Winter Olympics.

About Tom's Life

Tom Kühnhackl was born and grew up in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany. He started playing hockey when he was just two years old! Hockey runs in his family. His father, Erich Kühnhackl, was a famous German ice hockey player who played from 1968 to 1989. His father also played in five Winter Olympics for West Germany and was named Germany's ice hockey player of the 20th century in 2000. Tom's brother and sister also played hockey in Germany.

Tom has always been a big fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, even before they drafted him. Outside of hockey, Tom also supports the German football club FC Bayern Munich.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honours