Former NHL defenceman comes out of retirement after five years and returns to professional hockey

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Cooper Godin
April 26, 2023 (10:15)

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Five years after announcing his retirement from professional hockey, former NHL defenceman Christian Ehrhoff is returning to the ice and is signing with the Krefeld Penguins in the German Second Division, DEL2. Ehrhoff is no stranger to the Krefeld fans as he played parts of four seasons with them from 1999 to 2003 before coming to North America.

Note: the following quote is translated from German.

"After careful consideration over the past few weeks, I have made the decision to return from retirement. After saying goodbye to Adrian Grygiel in the playoffs and the emotional games that I witnessed live here in the arena, my fire was reignited and I sought out a conversation with my family. After I received their "Go" I approached Peer Schopp and the sports management with my idea. We quickly agreed that despite all our convictions, we could only benefit from my comeback with hard work. I'm ready for that and I'm dying to be able to feel the unique Krefeld fans, the atmosphere of the Nord and the scenery in the hall on the ice again." Ehrhoff said.

The 40-year-old last played during the 2017-18 season with Cologne in the DEL, putting up 31 points in 52 games. A few months before officially retiring in 2018, Ehrhoff helped Germany capture the silver medal at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

During his NHL career, the Moers native appeared in 789 games across 12 seasons with San Jose, Vancouver, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Chicago, where he amassed 339 points.

Source: Krefeld Penguins