Staying True to Plan, Eishockey Professional Announces Departure
Eishockey-Profi makes a surprising move despite uncertainty about the fate of his current and future clubs. Striker Jan Nijenhuis (24) is reportedly leaving Krefeld Pinguine for Dresdner Eislöwen, as per BILD reports.
The industry insider ‘RinkRat’ initially shared the rumor on X (formerly Twitter). Krefeld, who recently won the Second League championship, is still unsure if they can financially handle the DEL promotion. This uncertainty leaves Dresden, the sports first-league relegation, in a similar predicament, affecting their ability to finalize their roster plans. Despite this, Sports Director Jens Baxmann (41) has shown interest in Nijenhuis, who was less than content in Krefeld.
The forward only appeared in 28 games this season (four goals, three assists) and was not part of the playoffs lineup. Apparently, his style of play did not align with Krefeld’s coach Thomas Popiesch (60). In Dresden, he will reunite with his former coach Bohuslav Subr (45), under whom he excelled with seven goal involvements, including a finals appearance, at the Ravensburg Towerstars the previous season.
Nijenhuis, with significant DEL experience having played 191 games for Grizzlys Wolfsburg, Eisbären Berlin, and ERC Ingolstadt in the top division, followed by two years in DEL2, is regarded as a solid acquisition for a second-league team and still justifiable for a first-division team.
Hence, the dual roster planning is not a deal-breaker for him. Nijenhuis is expected to terminate his existing contract with Krefeld to join the Eislöwen. Given the scarcity of German players on the market, if Dresden re-enters the DEL, they would need to gauge his competitiveness against the quota slot. The sudden transfer activity between Krefeld and Dresden adds an element of surprise to the situation.
