Spitfires import newest recruit from Germany
Winger playing pro at home in Germany returns to OHL after Spits pick him up
The lure to play professional hockey in North America convinced German left-winger Cedric Schiemenz to walk away from pro hockey back home and give the Ontario Hockey League another chance.
A day after cutting ties with Russian forward Kirill Kozhevnikov, the Spitfires claimed the 18-year-old Schiemenz off Canadian Hockey League re-entry waivers to fill the team’s second import spot.
“It’s amazing,” said Schiemenz, who is from Berlin.
“I’m happy to be here and very thankful for the opportunity and hope to make the best of it.”
Schiemenz was the 50th overall selection in last year’s CHL Import Draft by the Kitchener Rangers and had three goals and nine points in 49 games, but was let go in June by the club so it could make another selection in the 2017 draft after Schiemenz was unable to crack the top six forwards group with the Rangers as a rookie.
“It’s a pretty hard business, I learned that,” Schiemenz said. “I never wanted to leave the O (HL). Pretty unfortunate, they told me shortly before CHL Import Draft (they) won’t bring me back.”
He landed on his feet back home and signed a pro deal with the Dresden Ice Lions of the German second division, but gave it all up to play in Windsor.
“I was playing 20 minutes a night, I get paid, I get my own car and my own apartment,” Schiemenz said. “Everything was fine, but, at the end, I could still have that again back home, even if it does not work out here.
“More people can watch me play here. I was really excited about the opportunity. Windsor’s such a great organization with such a great history, I couldn’t say no to that. Now, I’m happy to be here and hopefully turn some heads and prove some people wrong.”
While he struggled in his rookie season with the Rangers, Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel heard good reports on him in Germany where Schiemenz had four goals and 17 points in 31 games with the Ice Lions.
“We just had to shake things up,” Rychel said. “I have some friends over there who say he’s really progressed. He had a stint here last year that didn’t work out well for him. He went home and improved. He put on 15-20 pounds and he makes plays. We need guys to make plays. Hopefully,
More people can watch me play here. I was really excited about the opportunity. Windsor’s such a great organization.
this guy can make plays for us.”
Schiemenz was 145 pounds when he left Kitchener and now weighs 171 pounds and his fivefoot-11 frame has also added an inch from a year ago.
“I played here last year and I learned a lot,” Schiemenz said. “I was 17 at the time. I think I’ve matured a lot. I’m more comfortable and confident now. I’m confident I can take over one of those top six (forward) roles.”
With just hours to go before Wednesday’s OHL trade deadline at noon, Rychel was still working the phones.
He still has two cards to sign players and hopes to use one to get an overage player who would have been left unprotected after Tuesday’s overage trade deadline.
“We have until Jan. 15 to sign one,” Rychel said of an overage player. “We’re looking at a couple of things.”
That would leave him with one card and he’s not sure if he will use it in a trade or not.
“We’re fielding calls,” Rychel said. “There’s not a deal imminent right now, but a lot of things happen at the end.”