Krefeld Pinguine Sign Mark Zengerle; Regensburg Eisbären See ⁣Goalie Exodus

KREFELD, Germany (AP) — The Krefeld Pinguine have officially⁤ added forward Mark Zengerle to their roster. ‍meanwhile, the Eisbären Regensburg are experiencing a significant turnover in their goaltending ranks.

zengerle Joins Krefeld

Zengerle,35,most recently played for the Augsburg Panther in⁤ the DEL,where ⁣he recorded five goals and 15 assists in 52 games. The Krefeld Pinguine announced the signing, bolstering their offensive lineup.

The American player, who also holds‍ a German⁢ passport, initially came to ⁤Germany for the⁤ 2018-2019 season, ‍playing under coach ⁣Thomas Popiesch.⁣ he then ⁤moved to Berlin in 2020, contributing to ‌their German ‌championship wins in‍ the 2020-2021⁣ and 2021-2022 seasons. Before joining Augsburg, he spent two years with the Straubing Tigers.

Zengerle’s​ most productive season in Germany ⁢was his first, where​ he tallied 14 goals and 38 assists⁤ in 46 regular-season games, placing him in ‍a tie for fourth in the DEL scoring charts.

Peter Draisaitl, sporting director for the Pinguine, highlighted Zengerle’s experience and playmaking abilities. “Mark is ‌an agile ‍playmaker who isn’t afraid ‌to shoot. His profile as a⁤ skilled center will particularly benefit our power play by effectively covering the wings,” Draisaitl⁣ said.

Regensburg goaltending ⁤Changes

The Eisbären Regensburg are facing a near-complete overhaul in ​their goaltending department. Following the announced retirement of Eetu Laurikainen and uncertainty surrounding Jonas Neffin, four additional goalies are departing the second-division⁤ team.

Fabio​ Marx, Canadian‍ Olivier roy, David Kubík, and Kimi‍ Saffran will all be leaving the team.

Roy, previously with HC Puster Valley ​(ICEHL), played in 10 games, posting a 4.08 goals-against average and an 87.8%‍ save percentage. He was unable to secure a ‍new contract. ‌with Jonas Neffin’s return ⁣from injury, Roy lost his spot.

Marx primarily played for the U20 team, appearing ⁤in 23‍ games, and served as a ‌backup for the DEL2 team.Kubík, recalled‍ from the Rostock Piranhas of the Oberliga North late in the season, was a ⁤backup ⁢on several occasions. Saffran, a young talent from ⁤the Jungadler Mannheim DNL ‌team, joined Regensburg on short notice and was twice named to the squad.