Gabe Guentzel
{{short description|American ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Gabe Guentzel
| image =
| image_size = 230px
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|5|2}}
| birth_place = Woodbury, Minnesota, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 194
| position = Defense
| shoots = Left
| league =
| team = Free agent
| prospect_team =
| prospect_league =
| former_teams = Syracuse Crunch
Norfolk Admirals
Ritten/Renon
Asplöven HC
Augsburger Panther
| ntl_team =
| draft = Undrafted
| career_start = 2012
| career_end =
}}
Gabriel John "Gabe" Guentzel (born May 2, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey player. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Germany.{{cite web | url = http://gazette.com/cc-hockey-players-enjoying-pro-careers-overseas/article/1564421 | title = CC Hockey players enjoying pro careers overseas | publisher = Gazette.com | date = 2015-04-05 | accessdate = 2015-04-05}} Guentzel is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played under contract with German DEL outfit Augsburger Panther.
Playing career
A {{height|ft=6|in=0}} defenseman, Guentzel graduated from Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minnesota in 2006. He played in the North American Hockey League and the United States Hockey League before embarking on a four-year NCAA career at Colorado College.{{Cite web|title = Gabe Guentzel – 2011–2012 Men's Ice Hockey|url = http://cctigers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1960|access-date = 2016-02-14}} As a freshman (2008–09), he saw the ice in 36 games, scoring three goals while assisting on 13 others (16 points) and was presented with the Bob Johnson Award as the Tigers' freshman of the Year.{{Cite web|url = http://cctigers.com/documents/2012/6/11/2008-09_Final_Hockey_Statistics.pdf?id=2746|title = Colorado College Combined Team Statistics|date = |access-date = 2016-02-14| website = cctigers.com|publisher = Colorado College Athletics|last = |first = }} Statistically, his best college season was his junior year, when he recorded 28 points (six goals, 22 assists).{{Cite web|url = http://cctigers.com/documents/2012/6/11/2010-11_Final_Hockey_Statistics.pdf?id=2744|title = 2010–11 Colorado College Hockey|date = |access-date = 2016-02-14| website = cctigers.com|publisher = Colorado College Athletics|last = |first = }} As a senior, Guentzel was named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Second Team.{{Cite web|url = http://wcha.com/pdf/history15/Honors%20and%20Awards/Honors%20and%20Awards/8-All-time,%20All-WCHA%20Team%20Members,%20by%20School.pdf|title = 2015–16 WCHA MEN'S MEDIA GUIDE & RECORD BOOK|date = |access-date = 2016-02-14| website = wcha.com|publisher = WCHA|last = |first = }}
Upon graduation, he signed with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, with his debut coming on March 21, 2012.{{Cite web|title = Gabe Guentzel – 2011–12 Syracuse Crunch|url = http://www.syracusecrunch.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=49|access-date = 2016-02-14}} He split the following season, 2012–13, between the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) and the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL).{{Cite web|title = Official Home of the Norfolk Admirals|url = http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/release_story1.php?id=2703|website = www.norfolkadmirals.com|access-date = 2016-02-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130325051320/http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/release_story1.php?id=2703|archive-date = March 25, 2013|url-status = dead}}
Guentzel landed his first overseas job in 2013, signing with Rittner Buam of the Italian elite league Serie A, helping the team win the Italian championship in the 2013–14 season.{{Cite web|title = Gabe Guentzel verlässt den Meister|url = http://www.sportnews.bz/de/eishockey/news-detail/news/gabe-guentzel-verlaesst-den-meister.html| website = www.sportnews.bz|access-date = 2016-02-14}} He then signed with Swedish second-division side Asplöven HC for the 2014–15 campaign{{Cite web|title = Asplöven värvar amerikansk back|url = http://www.hockeysverige.se/2014/07/22/asploven-kan-forstarka-med-amerikansk-back/| website = Hockeysverige|access-date = 2016-02-14}} and moved to Germany during the season, signing with the Fischtown Pinguins, a Bremerhaven-based member of the second-tier DEL2, in January 2015.{{Cite web|title = Fischtown Pinguins : Ersatz für Ryan Martinelli|url = http://www.fischtown-pinguins.de/news/displaysingle/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1878&cHash=eb840eb8ffe79df2fc639bebe973375f|website = www.fischtown-pinguins.de|access-date = 2016-02-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160213100349/http://www.fischtown-pinguins.de/news/displaysingle/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1878&cHash=eb840eb8ffe79df2fc639bebe973375f|archive-date = February 13, 2016|url-status = dead}} He then re-signed with the Pinguins for the 2015–16 season and in March 2016 received DEL2 Defenseman of the Year honors.{{Cite web|url = http://www.hockeyweb.de/del2/justin-kelly-ist-spieler-des-jahres-in-der-del2-83671|title = Justin Kelly ist Spieler des Jahres in der DEL2| website = Hockeyweb|access-date = 2016-03-13}}
Guentzel left Bremerhaven at the conclusion of the 2015–16 season and inked a deal with the Augsburger Panther organization of the German top-tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in May 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aev-panther.de/panther/news_news,-Gabe-Guentzel-wird-ein-Panther-_naid,1831.html|title=Gabe Guentzel wird ein Panther - News - Augsburger Panther| website = www.aev-panther.de|access-date=2016-05-28}}
Personal life
Guentzel comes from an ice hockey family:{{Cite web|url=http://www.minnesotahockeyjournal.com/news_article/show/124022?referrer_id=427765|title=All In The Family|website=Minnesota Hockey Journal|access-date=2016-05-28|archive-date=June 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617114549/http://www.minnesotahockeyjournal.com/news_article/show/124022?referrer_id=427765|url-status=dead}} His dad Mike is coaching at the University of Minnesota.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/mike_guentzel_763830.html|title=GOPHERSPORTS.COM Mike Guentzel Bio :: University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site :: Ice Hockey|website=www.gophersports.com|access-date=2016-05-28|archive-date=November 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126021859/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/mike_guentzel_763830.html|url-status=dead}} His older brother Ryan played collegiately and professionally.{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-guentzel-935bb432|title=Ryan Guentzel {{!}} LinkedIn| website = www.linkedin.com|access-date=2016-05-28}} His younger brother Jake was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013. He signed out of college with them in 2016, and has won the Stanley Cup in 2017, and was an All-Star in 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=883637|title=Penguins Sign Forward Jake Guentzel to a Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract| website = penguins.nhl.com|access-date=2016-05-28}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guentzel, Gabe}}
Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen
Category:American people of German descent
Category:Augsburger Panther players
Category:Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey players
Category:Fischtown Pinguins players
Category:Fort Wayne Komets players
Category:Norfolk Admirals players
Category:Sportspeople from Woodbury, Minnesota
Category:Ice hockey people from Washington County, Minnesota