Stajan begins new chapter in Germany

Elliot Stajan has safely nailed the pronunciation of ‘Guten Morgen.’

Meaning that he already knows more German than his dad.

“We’re learning as we go … we’re teaching him a couple of words a day,” said Matt Stajan with a chuckle, as he finished an on-ice session at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday. “I think that’s all a part of it. It’s going to be fun.”

StajanmadeitofficialonWednesday, announcing that would be playing for Red Bull Munchen of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga this upcoming season.

He, his wife Katie, three-yearold Elliot and Dylan, who was born in July, are headed to Germany on Saturday to start the next chapter of their lives — and make a natural transition from the National Hockey League in which Stajan has played for the last 15 years.

It was a logical move after his contract expired with the Calgary Flames and allows Stajan to continue playing, a decision he and his family made over the summer. He’s also chasing a personal goal of his — to one day play in Europe.

“We felt the best thing for us as a family was to go over there and go to a team that wants you and is going to give you an opportunity to be a part of it.”

Stajan is familiar with Germany — as a youngster, he and his family would fly into the country en route to see relatives in Slovenia — but is also familiar with some of the names on the squad including former Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Mitchell and former NHLers Keith Aulie, who was drafted 116th overall by the Flames in 2007, and Jason Jaffray, a native of Rimbey, Alta., who has played the last three seasons in Munich.

“That’s what made it really intriguing,” Stajan said. “They have nine imports so the adjustment makes it a little easier going over because you have each other. The team itself, the management has been great with communicating and arranging everything. We have no regrets. We are excited to move there and move forward and experience playing over there.”

Last season, Stajan logged his 1,000th NHL game and did it in a Calgary Flames jersey in a place he and his wife have called home since January 2010. All told, he has played 1,003 games, and logged 146 goals and 267 assists between the Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team that drafted him 57th overall in 2002.

“There’s no doubt I’ll cherish those memories,” Stajan said of his NHL career. “There’s always that hope you’d get one more shot, but as the summer goes and you see how things play out, talking with my wife, we weren’t in the mindset where we wanted to chase a job and do the (professional tryout) thing. I just think the game has gotten so young, and we thought, ‘Let’s go over there and play in a really good league that will create a really good opportunity for us as a family.’

But according to Stajan, he and his family will always call Calgary home. “This city has been incredible, from start to finish,” Stajan said. “Through good times and tough times, we’ve always felt the support and wanted to make sure we were giving back as much as we could. We base out of here.

“For now, we’re moving to Germany, but we still have a home here and that’s how it’s going to be.”