Helmfried Kunkel was born in Darmstadt, Germany where hockey is a growing sport but nowhere near the main sport that people usually focus on. Growing up, all his friends and family were huge soccer/football fans given that Darmstadt had their own local storied soccer team and the Bundesliga being one of the top soccer leagues in the world. Like his peers, he tried soccer starting from a young age as that was the norm there in order to eventually join a professional academy in hopes of making it to pro leagues. However, he quickly found that he wasn't very good with his feet and kicking a ball around. After a couple of years, it was clear to his parents and him that he wasn't made to go very far as a soccer player. He continued to play in hopes of turning it around, but as his friends and peers started to join academies, his hope began to dwindle. In middle school, one of his best friends had just returned from a vacation in the USA and was telling Helmfried about this wonderful experience he had watching the New York Islanders live. He described an electric atmosphere when goals were scored similar to soccer, hard hits that knocked players to the ground, and the impressive stickwork all the players had. Helmfried was familiar with hockey, they had their own Olympic teams and even had their own German NHL stars but he never really put much thought into it until now. 

Fast forward a few years, Helmfried had fallen in love with skating and being on the ice. He found he was much better with a stick in his hand than kicking a ball with his feet. While it was hard to initially find a rink and a team in Germany, eventually he found a team and made life-long friends with his teammates. Not only did his love for hockey blossom, but he quickly realized that he was pretty talented. After a few years, he had been urged to try out for the SHL in hopes of becoming a pro. While initially nervous, Helmfried decided to trust his gut and take the leap. Now he's looking forward to joining the SMJHL and prove to himself that he has what it takes.

384 words