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Gifter of Bikes · 02-22-2014, 09:27 PM

When 12-year-old Christoph Klose first received national attention playing hockey in his hometown of Mannheim, Germany, he was already sure of his long-term career plans. "I want to play hockey in North America, maybe get to the NHL." The fresh-faced youth put up incredible numbers year after year, playing well above his age group, and it seemed like the young sniper was on a track that would see him be the highest drafted German ever in NHL history. Drawing comparisons to former Hartford Whaler great Geoff Sanderson, Klose relied on his breakaway speed and heavy, accurate shot to make a name for himself.

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Klose, representing Germany, embracing an opponent in international play. Klose represented Germany five times during his career.

Klose finally made the jump to North America as a 17-year-old, but it wasn't to play in the NCAA or Canadian Junior systems. Instead, Klose cast his lot with the up-and-coming SHL and its affiliate, the North West Junior Hockey League, or the NWJHL. Having only been in existence for 5 years, it was considered a major coup by the SHL to bring a player of Klose's caliber under their umbrella. "If I'm being honest, part of the reason is that I was able to make a lot of money right away," Klose revealed. "There was a salary cap for the NWJHL back then, but bonuses were handled really differently than they are now. Between my contract and bonuses, I made almost 3 million during my one junior season. That money goes a long way if you're smart about it. I was able to pay off my parents' house right away as a thank you to them for their support of me during my formative hockey years."

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[Image: AA4448CC-C9AB-CBB1-CB56DAF2CF951493_def.jpg]

The Klose family home, just outside of Mannheim, Germany.

After playing in a top prospect game for the NWJHL, Klose was eventually drafted 47th overall, to the Montreal Impact. "I have to admit," Klose said in a recent interview, "I expected to be selected before 47. I thought that, based on my accomplishments, I would go in the top 30 at the very least. It was a big shock, but it was a good thing, because it showed me that what I did in Mannheim didn't really matter anymore. Hockey is not about the triumphs and failures of the past; it's about living in the present and making the most of whatever situation you are confronted with right now."

The Impact, led by the management duo of Michael Abdalla and Sarmad Khan, helped foster what would become a career-long dedication to being as complete of a player as possible. "Michael and Sarmo were tremendous in my development," Klose revealed. "They brought me into their office right after I got drafted and told me that they loved what I had done in Germany, but that it was time to start a new chapter and make a name for myself on this side of the world." The changes in Klose's game were obvious within a month of moving to Quebec. His style of play was still dominated by creating space with his speed and firing the puck, but he learned how to use his teammates more, and how to play a better defensive game. Klose played most of the season on the Impact's second line with Chico Salmon and James Neugesbauer before getting bumped to the top line just in time for the playoffs. Playing with Slovak Petr Klimek, Klose scored at a point-per-game pace during a 14 game playoff run that saw Montreal fall short of their championship dreams. On a fairly high profile junior team, it was the newcomer Klose who made the biggest splash when he was the first Impact player selected in the SHL draft, going 15th overall to the Minnesota Chiefs.

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[Image: 2011_nhl_draft_zack_phillips.JPG]

A fresh-faced Klose answering questions after being drafted by the Chiefs.

"Man, Minnesota was really bad their first year," Klose recalled with a laugh. "I remember joking with some of the other junior players that I expected to go back to the NWJHL unless I went to the Chiefs, because they were so terrible. That said, when they traded to get that pick, and then selected me, I was beyond thrilled."

The Chiefs were a historically-bad team in their inaugural season, but missed out on the top pick in the lottery. Along with Klose, the Chiefs were able to bring in Zach Miller and Zach Myers in the draft and went into their second season as a franchise with an exceptionally young line up. Klose was slotted in the familiar second line wing spot right off the bat, playing with all-around winger Giovanni Mortellero and playmaking center Robert Spezza. Zach Miller debuted on the top line alongside budding superstar Brodie Witzel, and the Chiefs went from worst to Cup Finalists in the span of a season.

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Klose, Winter, and Markus Backlund celebrating a Chiefs goal.

"That run was incredible," Klose said, eyes glossy with reflection. "We were so young and full of energy that sometimes we just won games based on our exuberance. Brandon Sawyer was unbelievable in net for us and well deserving of his Anton Razov award for best player in the playoffs. Going up against another second year team in the Los Angeles Panthers was a big story at the time, since we took the draft approach and the Panthers went crazy in free agency. It was a question of what is the best way to turn a franchise around."

Unfortunately for Klose, a terrible turn of events occurred in the 7th game of that Challenge Cup series. Ahead by a goal late in the game, Klose took a penalty, which led to veteran Jeff Dar scoring with just seconds remaining in regulation. Then, shockingly, Klose was sent to the box just 2 minutes into overtime and Dar scored the game winner. An irate Klose blasted the league offices for allowing their referees to be "bought", as he bluntly put it. "There's no doubt in my mind that someone at the top wanted LA to win that series," Klose recounted. "Big free agent signings, new non-traditional hockey market; it made financial success to throw California a bone. The problem I have is that they were gifted the Cup in the end. It was a real slap in the face." No fines or suspensions were issued for Klose's outburst, which led to further speculation that perhaps the accusations were not just the rantings of an angry teenager. This, in turn, proved to be an ironic foreshadowing of events.

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This official hide his whistle under his arm….unless it was time to send Klose to the box again.

The next season saw the Chiefs miss the playoffs. Klose put up slightly better numbers than he did in his rookie season, but ultimately, it was too little of an improvement to propel the previous year's Cinderella team into the playoffs. It was shortly after the season ended that a leaked memo surfaced regarding Klose's former general manager, Michael Abdalla, now in charge of scheduling and league affairs for the SHL. The memo served to draw the curtains back on the inner workings of Abdalla's office, and there was immediate league-wide outrage. Abdalla had the officials under strict orders to give favoritism to some teams, and accusations of league rigging were rampant. "In a lot of ways, I still consider that season a wash," Klose said. "I don't have an official comment, and I still consider Michael a key influence on the success I had in my SHL career. He was punished soundly and I know he has a lot of regrets about that time, so I will leave it at that."

The Abdalla incident overshadowed a quiet shift in influence during that season. With the success that Klose had with the Montreal Impact, it suddenly became a more palatable option for Europeans, specifically Germans, to come to North America and try to make a name for themselves. Amongst those that Klose opened the door for are countrymen David Winter, Chris McZherl, Daniel Passarella, and Joe McKeil. The German Contingent, as they were sometimes known, would eventually lead to Team Germany overtaking Team UK in international tournaments, frequently being the team to beat with their high powered offense coming from the aforementioned Contingent, stingy goaltending in the form of superstar goaltender Josef Heiss, and a solid all-around defense. "It was kind of a domino effect, actually," Klose described. "Thomas Duddy and I came over at the same time, then I talked to David about coming to North America, and he brought over some guys that he had played with. It all sort of snowballed from there."

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Germany’s best, heading for North America.

It was after Klose's second SHL season that Chiefs General Manager Jon Doran approached the young German scorer and offered him the opportunity to apply for an Assistant General Manager position. "I had never even thought about anything like that," Klose said, the surprise in his voice coming across from a span of almost ten years. "The meetings with Jon were really informative and the offer was staggering, but in the end, I just felt like I was not ready yet. We did agree that I would become a scout for the Chiefs, though I can now admit that I knew very little of how to even do that."

Under Klose's scouting guidance, the Chiefs began a draft policy of giving up whatever picks were necessary to bring in one or two targeted players. This resulted in the acquisition of David Winter and defenseman Niclas Wastlund. These selections, along with the signing of the man who tormented Klose in the finals, Jeff Dar, and a trade that saw draft-mate Zach Myers shipped to Vancouver in exchange for beleaguered forward Saku Perhonen, put the Chiefs in a position where they felt ready to finally claim their championship. Four years after being drafted, Klose and the Chiefs finally did just that, once again led by a dominating and Razov-award-winning performance from goaltender Brandon Sawyer. "That locker room, that team, our performance on the ice, our camaraderie off of it, it was all incredible. I had never been a part of a group like that before and might never be again," Klose said somberly. "Even now, it makes me a little emotional to think about that group of guys and what we accomplished as a team."

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A sea of fans snapping pictures of the Chiefs as they celebrate.

The celebrating for Klose in Minnesota was short-lived, however, as he was dealt to the Calgary Dragons just days after winning the Challenge Cup by defeating them. "I was fully aware of the situation, so it wasn't a shock," Klose revealed. "I approached Dar during the playoffs, who took up a co-Manager role with Jon Doran, and told him I was feeling a little stale with the Chiefs and wanted a change. He was surprised and disappointed, but appreciated me being forthcoming with him. Long story short, I got moved to Calgary in exchange for Reggie Williams and a pick. That was one of the worst parts, aside from leaving that locker room, because I had always wanted to play with Reggie." The move to Calgary saw Klose suddenly become a key guy on a team instead of one of many stars. It also reunited him with Perhonen, which was one of several highlights for Klose. "The biggest thing about being in Calgary was playing with legends like Kain Webb and Ryan Jesster. Being on a line with Webb, I put up career numbers, and one of the best seasons in SHL history."

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Klose celebrating one of his 33 goals in a Dragon’s uniform.

Not only that, but Klose helped to bring the Dragons to another Cup finals, this time against the Hamilton Steelhawks. In a series of ironic events, Klose was offered an Assistant General Manager position with the Dragons, but reportedly told the Dragons the same thing that he told the Chiefs, which was that he was flattered but not ready for that kind of position, and that ultimately he was planning on testing free agency. With that in mind, the Dragons dealt Klose to the Steelhawks, giving Klose an excellent opportunity to reach the Cup finals with 3 different teams in 3 consecutive years.

"I don't want to talk about Hamilton," Klose said tersely. "There were a few good things, but overall, it was a pretty negative experience. I have no interest in dwelling on that period of my career."

Not even a season later, Klose was moved from Hamilton to the Las Vegas Kings, a team that he had long been rumored to be interested in. "I had a long friendly rivalry with Duddy," Klose reflected. "To finally be on the same team as him, for the first time since our junior season all-star game, was really a blast. I wish we could have made the playoffs together, but it just wasn't meant to be."

At that point, Klose hit free agency, along with fellow superstar David Winter. The German duo publicly declared their interest to sign as a duo and received offers from nearly every team. Eventually, however, the duo split their decision, with Klose unwilling to leave the Las Vegas Kings after they gave up a premium to acquire him. As part of the contract that Klose signed, long-time Kings General Manager Riley Raycroft would step down and give his position to Klose. "In the past, I had been unwilling to take an SHL job because I didn't want to give up on the Firebirds, but this situation was different," Klose said. "Not only would I be in taking over for Riley, but I was also given permission to seek relocation destinations. I've always felt a strong pull toward Buffalo, New York, and as a player was very disappointed to see the Thunder move before ever playing a game. I approached the league about relocating to Buffalo and had an investor ready to go, but the issue came up with realignment of the conferences. The league went to a vote and decided against moving Minnesota to the Western conference, citing league parity. It's ironic now that Minnesota and Manhattan are the two worst teams in the league, while in the West the difference between 2nd and 6th place was only 10 points. So much for parity."

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The SHL Commissioner gloating at rejecting the Kings’ relocation request.

"Eventually, though," Klose continued after a moment to regain his composure, "we were approached by a group from Seattle who were interested in bringing the in an SHL team. We discussed it with the ownership group and internally and decided that it made too much sense to pass up. Our condition was that the current team would be allowed to vote on the team name, and once the votes were tallied, we were the Seattle Riot. The second-place name went to our youth team, the Seattle Reign."

Once the Kings were re-branded as the Riot, Klose and Co-Manager Jason Due held a joint press conference to announce their retirements as players. Klose introduced his protégé Dustin Rose, a man who had been away from the game for so long that some believed he was just a legend. "The announcement was very tough, emotionally, but it was time," Klose said. "Over the course of one summer, I felt a big dip in my abilities, like 15 percent less. I know Duey felt it, too, but we were determined to make the most of our final season."

Although the Riot would miss the playoffs in their inaugural season, Due and Klose finished as the top two scorers in the league, with Due taking home MVP Awards for being the first defenseman to ever lead the league in points. "It was bitter-sweet. We did everything we could to get the team in the playoffs, but we just didn't have enough to pull it off in time," Klose admitted. "Now, though, we have a bright future, and it's just starting to break through the clouds that have been hovering over us for years. We have two wingers in Daniel Merica and Snowden Manning who we believe will both be top line scorers by the end of this next season. We made a big trade to bring in Chris McZherl and Claude Perron, to help nurture our young players. We have Peter Parker looking to take some major steps this season when he makes his Riot debut. We loved our draft this year and believe that we selected players with incredibly bright futures. And we have my old friend Dustin in net, who looks bigger and meaner than ever."

"Looking back on my playing career, there were certainly some highs and lows, but as a manager, I have never felt better about a team's future than I do with the Riot right now. With the Reign development program in place, we are able to nurture Seattle's youth in our great game. Our new ownership group has been outstanding and very patient with us as we have gone through some growing pains. We have a scouting network set up worldwide, with Thomas Duddy heading up the European contingent. Are we going to win a Cup this season? No, probably not. But we are arriving, one day at a time, and the rest of the league better take notice. There's a Riot coming."

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[Image: Downtown_Seattle_from_Kerry_Park.jpg]

The next place Klose plans to celebrate a Cup victory.

Individual Accomplishments:
Career regular season points: 459
Regular season pace: .90
Career playoff points: 46
Playoff pace: 0.81 points per game
Five-time 20 goal scorer
Five-time SHL All-Star
NWJHL All-Star
Assistant Captain:
Montreal Impact - S05
Minnesota Chiefs - S07 - S10
Calgary Dragons - S11
Sarmad Khan Trophy finalist - S11
Three Challenge Cup Finals appearances
One Challenge Cup - S10

Seven-time international representative:
Two-time Gold Medal winner with Team Germany [S11 and S16]
Two-time Silver Medal winner with Team Germany [S08 and S10]
Captain: Team Germany Olympics - S10
International stats: 47 games, 19 goals, 26 assists

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Spangle · 02-22-2014, 09:37 PM

still not voting for u b/c u passed on me in draft and im still rly mad like grrr grrr grr

Gifter of Bikes · 02-22-2014, 09:50 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Spangle@Feb 22 2014, 08:37 PM
still not voting for u b/c u passed on me in draft and im still rly mad like grrr grrr grr

FWIW, I tried to get another 2nd rounder. But Gaia was on the board. How can I pass up drafting Mother Earth?

Spangle · 02-22-2014, 09:53 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Gifter of Bikes@Feb 22 2014, 08:50 PM

FWIW, I tried to get another 2nd rounder. But Gaia was on the board. How can I pass up drafting Mother Earth?

excuses excuses excuses grr grr grrr

Duey · 02-23-2014, 12:29 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Spangle@Feb 22 2014, 07:37 PM
still not voting for u b/c u passed on me in draft and im still rly mad like grrr grrr grr

You've had chance after chance to sign here, so it all evens out, don't ya think? :ph34r: Tongue

***HabsFanFromOntario*** · 02-23-2014, 03:06 AM

Perhonen mentions :wub:

Klose was pree badass.

~~gorlab~~ · 02-23-2014, 03:38 AM

IMO if you are going to use Times you need to increase font size. That shit is hard for these old eyes to read.

*Otrebor13* · 02-23-2014, 03:57 AM

Quote:Originally posted by gorlab@Feb 23 2014, 02:38 AM
IMO if you are going to use Times you need to increase font size. That shit is hard for these old eyes to read.