08-01-2024, 04:01 PM(This post was last modified: 08-01-2024, 05:44 PM by bluesfan55. Edited 2 times in total.)
The S79 SMJHL Draft is coming up on Saturday, and many promising young players will be drafted to get their shot at the J, and eventually the SHL. But one of these prospects (literally) towers among the rest. That would be Dieter Frühstück, who stands at a massive six foot eight inches tall. But who is this hulking East German (Frühstück was born in the ex-GDR, in the city of Rostock), and what can we expect from him?
First off, Frühstück is a major throwback, for two reasons. With his size and physique, one would think that he was built in an old GDR lab, steroids and all. But the first thing he'll tell you is that's not the case. "I worked really hard to look like I do now," said the young German. "My goal is to look as imposing as possible for a reason! My teammates called me Ivan after Drago from Rocky IV." The other reason is the way he plays. Scouts who watched him play in the U18 leagues in Germany for Eisbären Berlin had one thing to say about him: he takes no prisoners. "Frühstück is probably the most defensive defensive defenseman I've seen," said one scout. "He loves to throw hits, loves to block shots, and has a really good stick as well. He uses his size to block opposing forwards off and either throws a mean hit or uses his stick to lift or poke it away. I don't think I've seen as imposing a defender in years, and you don't often see players of his ilk in the SHL today. He was called "Die Mauer" in Germany for a reason - the kid's a brick wall out there at his best. If he's on his game, no forward is getting past him."
What the scout means by that is that Frühstück doesn't really score. Like, at all. "Frühstück probably has the worst hands I've ever seen. Any time he tries to handle the puck or make a deke, he loses it instantly; you won't see him starting a rush, and he's usually the last man in. He has a powerful slapshot, which is what you'd expect from a massive 6'8" skater, but it's wildly inaccurate. The one good thing I can say about his offensive capabilities is that he can pass. He's got good hockey sense and vision, which allows him to find seams."
As for his other attributes, scouts continue to be frank. "Frühstück skates relatively well for a guy of his size, but it's something he's going to have to work on as he adjusts to North American ice. Faster skaters in the DNL embarrassed him at times, and when he commits to the man and misses his hit, he gives up chances. He's lighter on his feet than one would expect, but he's not the most agile either. But he's probably one of the smartest players I've seen. The kid reads the game really well. He more often than not makes the smart plays, and works well with his teammates. Off the ice he might be one of the smartest kids I've seen, too." Frühstück blushes when school is mentioned. "My parents instilled the belief in me that school came first and hockey came second. Even as I signed for Berlin's youth teams, I tried to focus on my schooling first and kept my grades up. My parents brag that I was top of my class despite missing half of the school year for hockey games; they came around once I had my growth spurt. I was split between declaring for the draft and signing a scholarship with Harvard, but I'd rather get a shot to the pros sooner."
One thing that Frühstück constantly gets asked about is his last name. "Yes, I'm aware that my name in English translates to Dieter Breakfast. I've seen people comment on social media that when I hit someone super hard, their breakfast is getting served or something like that. I think it's kind of funny. In Germany it's not a big deal, so I didn't hear much about it in school or during games, but if I heard a particularly nasty chirp, I just threw a hit and the kid was down a few teeth." Off the ice he's known to be a particularly huge football (or as he'd call it at home, fußball) fan. "Hansa [Frühstück's hometown team in Rostock] were in the Bundesliga when I was really young, so I haven't seen us play at that level. Growing up, we were mostly in the 3. Liga or 2. Bundesliga, but I wouldn't root for anyone else. I try to win us Bundesligas and Champions Leagues on Football Manager every year." So did he play when he was young? "Yes, but I was never that good. I quickly realized hockey was my best sport."
So who is Dieter Frühstück? Quite simply, he's a defensive defenseman. One whose style of play is more reminiscent of the 1990s then the 2020s. But he wouldn't have that any other way. "I'm open to changing my game, but I love how I play. Defensemen are supposed to play defense first, and I've made it my goal to be the best at that. If I'm asked to play more offensively, I will, but I know I'll never be a true offensive defenseman. I did look up to Bojo Biscuit, after all." The sky might be the limit for this big German, but time will tell.
ty to @High Stick King @EvilAllBran and @Ragnar for the sigs
bluesfan55
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