Our satirical series is back, just for the start of DEL season. The last two years weren’t much to laugh about, but now the fun continues with Part 8:
The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) is about to undergo a minor revolution. A newly established players union seeks to fight for equal opportunities for players born in Germany. In the club structure, which has been shaped by North America, they see German professionals at a disadvantage because the grace of North American birth is often necessary to become a humble German professional.
Penguin Bremerhaven has been doing this for years, with success ashore also the success of the Office of Civil Registration, says Mo Mulla, president of the association PADSNNV (Professionals in Search of North American Ancestors).
According to Mulla, a German-born hockey player is much more likely to get a good contract if they can also show a Canadian or US passport. “Then I can play as a German-Canadian, for example. No one else takes us German players seriously,” says Müller, who used to be called Moritz Müller.
The Kolner High captain continued: “I was really lucky. Last year I found a great-grandfather who had been to Calgary before.” Mulla now had a Canadian passport for three weeks and is now waiting for the country to become one. He must first hand over his German passport. “The time has come in six weeks,” says Mulla. Until then, though, he’ll be sitting in the stands with the sharks as an extra alien.
They don’t have that problem at Red Bull Munich. Manager Christian Winkler says: “Luckily, we still had two casual positions vacant.” Thus, new American Matt Lowerberger (formerly Mathias Niederberger) and new Canadian Dan (Danny aus den Birken) from Birch could remain in the target alternate title candidate. Winkler: “Both will get their German passports soon, the citizens’ registration office in Munich is set.”
Not all clubs are happy with the new players’ union project
However, PadSNV is criticized by the league as well. Fishtown penguins feel especially deprived. Manager Alfred Prey talks of “cultural appropriation”. There are currently nine players in the Norddeutsche team who have only obtained their German passport as a professional ice hockey player. Over the years, Penguin had done good naturalization work in collaboration with the Civil Registration Office and showed a lot of creativity. “What if we copied the idea of the Red Bull youth center in Salzburg? In Wilhelmshaven for example? It would have been great to shout!” says Preeti.
DELL now wants to test whether the advance of PadSNV is legal. However, as managing director Gordon Tripke (formerly Gernot Tripke) says: “In order to equal rights, it is only good for the Walmart German Hockey League. We will not put any obstacles in the way of many players who are now in Canada, the US or the East.” Want to Germanize himself through Europe.
on home page
