Alexander Sulzer
Alexander Sulzer (* 30 May 1984 in Kaufbeuren ) is a German ice hockey player on the position of the defender, which is since February 2012, when the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League contract.
- 2.1 International
- 3.1 International
Career
Sulzer went through the youth department of his home club ESV Kaufbeuren and received in the season 2000 / 01 - at the age of 16 years - first working times in the first team of Kaufbeurer in the big leagues. In the following season, played the offensive defenseman in the regular league team of the ESV, with whom he celebrated promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga, although the team lost the final of the league championship against the rival Bavarian Landshut Cannibals. Nevertheless, Sulzer, who had played only 18 times instead of 38 missions in the preseason, showed greatly improved since him ten points scorer and thus were a managed more than last year in these 18 encounters. For the season 2002/ 03 joined the right-handed shooter, equipped with a mining license to the Hamburg Freezers in the German Hockey League. However, he played in the first round still common in Kaufbeuren, to get enough match practice. Finally he came to the main round to 18 sessions for Freezers in the DEL and 26 for Kaufbeuren in the second league.
In the following summer, the defender in the NHL Entry Draft in 2003 was selected in the third round at 92 position of the Nashville Predators. He also moved within the DEL for the DEG Metro Stars, as the Predators initially refrained to take their draft pick under contract. In Dusseldorf, Sulzer has developed into a regular player when he played there in his first year playing the complete Main Round and came into the playoffs for use. All this was possible, although the defensive specialist had been the victim of a robbery in Düsseldorf city center shortly after the beginning of the season and had suffered various injuries. The following season was as successful as it eleven points more than doubled his points last year's production. Nevertheless, the MetroStars did not reach the playoffs. For this reason, he came at the foxes Duisburg in the 2nd Bundesliga to use and helped them in seven games to the rise in the DEL. In the season 2005/ 06 Sulzer introduced with 18 points scorer again a personal best and had a great share in reaching the playoff final with DEG, which, however, was clearly lost to the Polar Bears Berlin. This season had the Kaufbeurer - for the first time participated in the DEL All-Star Game - as a player of the DEB - selection. Participate again he saw the DEL All-Star Game in 2007, this time as a player of the Euro- selection. The 2006/07 season, in which he could show repeated solid statistical values , was also his last in the dress of the DEG Metro Stars.
Due to a contractual offer of the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League in the spring of 2007 left Sulzer, despite a valid until the summer of 2008 treaty with the people of Düsseldorf, the team and instead, after he had signed a two year contract on 23 May 2007, to North America. This contract was also valid for the American Hockey League. In the AHL Sulzer spent the entire 2007 / 08, after it Nashville before the season starts to their partners, the Milwaukee Admirals, had parked. For the admiral denied the German 61 of the possible 80 games, but fell due to injury from the end of the season and was not even in the playoffs for use. With 32 points reached scorer, he played his best season as a professional until then. The 2008/09 season began the defender at the admiral. His constant good performances led on 8 January 2009 continued to Sulzer extended his contract with the Nashville Predators for a further two years. The new offer was doped with 1.3 million dollars and no longer to the extent of the AHL valid as the previous one. Just one week later, on January 15, he made his debut in the game of Predators against the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL after he had previously been ordered for the first time on the day in the NHL squad. At this time he had scored in 39 AHL games 29 points and was the third-best defense in the league.
On February 25, 2011 it gave the Nashville Predators in a transfer from business in exchange for a conditional seventh- round performance suffrage in the NHL Entry Draft in 2012 to the Florida Panthers. On July 7, 2011, Sulzer has signed a contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
Almost exactly a year later, on 27 February 2012, Sulzer was again part of a transfer. Shortly before the trade deadline the defender was sent along with Cody Hodgson for Marc -Andre Gragnani and Zack Kassian to the Buffalo Sabres. From the beginning of its commitment to the Sabres in the NHL season 2011/12 Sulzer played with his teammate Christian Ehrhoff in defensive pair together, with whom he was already qualified for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Hockey World Cup 2010 for the German national ice hockey team on the ice. His first goal for his new team from Buffalo succeeded the native Kaufbeurer on March 14, 2012 in a game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Due to the NHL lockout played Sulzer in autumn 2012 for the ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. During the rest of the NHL season Sulzer completed 17 games for the Sabres and was not more from February 2013 to the permanent cadre. This situation changed with the start of the new season, not because he rarely stood still on the ice and be at the AHL farm team, the Rochester Americans, found again.
In November 2013, the Sabres invoked it again in the NHL squad.
Internationally
Sulzer played at international level yet seven times for the German national team, twice at junior level.
His first international tournament he graduated with the U20 Junior World Championship 2003, where he worked in six games, the descent of the Germans could not prevent despite two Assists in the B group. The following year he took part with the country selection at the U20 World Junior Championships Division I. There Germany made the chances of promotion. The defender had it relevant with nine points in five games interest and was named the best defender of the tournament. In the senior level, he ran on at the A World Championships in 2005 and 2007, the World Championship Division I in 2006 and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and Vancouver 2010. With the exception of resurgence of selection in the A group in 2006, subsequently reach more success.
Awards and achievements
- 2002 promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga with the ESV Kaufbeuren
- 2006 DEL All-Star Game
- 2007 DEL All-Star Game
Internationally
- 2004 promotion to the top division at the U20 Junior World Championship Division I
- 2004 Best defender of the U20 Junior World Championship Division I
- 2006 promotion to the top division at the World Championships Division I
Career Stats
Internationally
Represented Germany at:
- U20 Junior World Championship 2003
- U20 World Junior Championships Division I 2004
- World Championship 2005
- 2006 Winter Olympics
- World Championship Division I 2006
- World Cup 2007
- 2010 Winter Olympics
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )