Ravensburg's latest recruit, Jan Nijenhuis, reportedly joins as Penguin's newcomer.
The Exciting Newcomer: Jan Nijenhuis, Coming to Krefeld Pinguine
Joining the Krefeld Pinguine team for the 2025/26 season is Jan Nijenhuis, a 23-year-old prodigious forward. In his previous stint with Ravensburg Towerstars, he left quite an impression, tallying 10 goals and 15 assists in 47 games. The move to Krefeld has long been in the works, thanks to some persistent conversations between Nijenhuis and Peter Draisaitl, the sports director at Krefeld.
Nijenhuis's Spark is a Perfect Fit
That relationship has been brewing since Nijenhuis's days with ERC Ingolstadt. The ongoing conversation eventually led to a deal that everyone's thrilled about. Nijenhuis's high-octane skating, knack for driving the action, and electric energy on the ice are qualities that Krefeld's excited to add to their roster.
Jan's Perspective: Driven by Team chemistry and Personal Growth
Nijenhuis shares the enthusiasm. He admires the philosophies of Krefeld and holds Steven Raabe in high regard, thanks to their close connection and Raabe's consistently positive words about Krefeld. Nijenhuis is looking forward to the team, the coaching staff, and the challenge of delivering a successful season and pushing for promotion. Personally, he aims to keep developing his game and become a significant, influential player for Krefeld.
Nijenhuis' Background
Hailing from Munich, Nijenhuis initally joined the Jungadler Mannheim youth program from EHC Klostersee in 2015. He swiftly acclimated to the German junior national team, suiting up for 71 games. Stepping onto the senior and Deutschland Cup stages four times, he displayed his versatility as a right-winger. His DEL debut came in the 2019/20 season with the Grizzlys Wolfsburg. So far, he's played 206 DEL games for Wolfsburg, Berlin, and Ingolstadt, while also logging time with Kassel Huskies, Lausitzer Füchse, Towerstars, Hannover Indians, and Hannover Scorpions as a foster license player in DEL2 and Oberliga.
Coaching Staff and Goalies Set for the 2025/26 Season
At the helm of the Krefeld Pinguine, we have Thomas Popiesch as our head coach, Steffen Ziesche as his assistant, and Anton Lukin as our goaltending coach. In the goalie department, we've got Felix Bick and Julius Schulte.
Defensively, the roster includes Erik Buschmann, Zack Dybowski, Carl Konze, Leonhard Korus, Mick Köhler, Oliver Mebus, Steven Raabe, and Davis Vandane.
By no means a comprehensive overview, but we're excited for what's to come and can't wait to see Jan Nijenhuis bring his A-game to the Pinguine! Fired up for a successful season!
What football position do you think Jan Nijenhuis will excel at with his high-octane skating and knack for driving the action on the ice?
Maybe he'll appreciate football lessons from Peter Draisaitl to diversify his skills before hitting the ice next season in Krefeld.
