Garrett Festerling

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image = 2022-12-02 Eisbären Berlin gegen Straubing Tigers (Deutsche Eishockey-Liga 2022-23) by Sandro Halank–070.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|3|3}}

| birth_place = Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 172

| position = Center

| shoots = Right

| league = DEL

| team = Free Agent

| former_teams = Hannover Scorpions
Hamburg Freezers
Adler Mannheim
Grizzlys Wolfsburg
Straubing Tigers

| ntl_team = GER

| draft = Undrafted

| draft_year =

| draft_team =

| career_start = 2007

}}

Garrett Festerling (born March 3, 1986) is a professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played under contract with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is a dual citizen of Canada and Germany.{{cite web | url = http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/Hockey/2012-07-23/article-3037113/Festerling-signs-with-German-team/1 | title = Festerling signs with German team | work = The Telegram | date = 2012-07-23 | quote = His twin brother Garrett has played in Germany the last five years, the past two with the Hanover Scorpions of the DEL as a dual Canadian-German citizen. The Festerlings' paternal grandfather is a native of Germany. | access-date = 2013-11-22 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20131122175005/http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/Hockey/2012-07-23/article-3037113/Festerling-signs-with-German-team/1 | archive-date = 2013-11-22 | url-status = dead }}

Playing career

Festerling played for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL before making the move to the WHL. He first represented the Portland Winter Hawks and then joined the Regina Pats.

In 2007, Festerling headed over the pond to play professionally in Germany and spent the 2007-08 season with EV Füssen, a team from the third division in Germany. Festerling excelled as the league's leading scorer, recording 50 goals and 70 assists in 45 games, while being named Oberliga Player of the Year by eishockeynews.de.{{Cite web|title = Garrett Festerling Spieler des Jahres|url = http://www.onetz.de/deutschland-und-die-welt-r/sport-de-welt/garrett-festerling-spieler-des-jahres-d645779.html|website = onetz.de|access-date = 2016-02-14|first = Medienhaus Der Neue|last = Tag}}

His outstanding performances with the Füssen team drew the attention of teams from the German elite league Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Festerling eventually signed with the Hannover Scorpions in 2008, joining the DEL side on a three-year contract.{{Cite web|title = Garrett Festerling kommt nach Hannover|url = http://www.hockeyweb.de/del/garrett-festerling-kommt-nach-hannover-24246|website = Hockeyweb|access-date = 2016-02-14}} In his second year in Hannover, Festerling saw action in 18 contests en route to winning the German championship with the Scorpions.{{Cite web|title = Hannover Scorpions: Kaum neue Gesichter beim Meister - Hannover Scorpions beim Fototermin in Langenhagen|url = http://www.eishockey.info/eishockey/WebApp?cmd=displayArtikelSeite&title=Kaum-neue-Gesichter-beim-Meister&artikel=20738|website = EISHOCKEY INFO|access-date = 2016-02-14|last = EISHOCKEY.INFO}}

He left the team after the championship season to pursue more playing time and joined the Hamburg Freezers for the 2010–11 campaign.{{cite web| url = http://www.hamburg-freezers.de/index.php?Set-Cookie:%20ADFRAME_SESSION_ID=1301389439124168317013381;%20domain=www.hamburgfreezers.de;%20path=/; | language = German | title = Festerling signs with the Freezers | publisher = Hamburg Freezers | date = 2010-04-28 | accessdate = 2010-04-28}} Festerling developed into a key member of the Freezers’ squad and was joined by his twin brother Brett who signed with the Freezers in April 2014. Garrett inked a four-year contract extension with the Freezers in June 2014.{{Cite web|title = Freezers verlängern mit Stürmer Garrett Festerling bis 2018 - 07 - DEL.org|url = http://www.del.org/de/news/2014/07/festerling/page/2780--30-2732-.html|website = www.del.org|access-date = 2016-02-14}} The Freezers folded in May 2016, which made Festerling a free agent.{{Cite web|url=http://ddexpress.info/former-nhler-schuberts-last-ditch-effort-to-save-hamburg-freezers-fails-del-team-folds/|title=Former NHLer Schubert's last-ditch effort to save Hamburg Freezers fails, DEL team folds|date=2016-05-26|website=ddexpress.info {{!}} the world's sports|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-28|archive-date=2016-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923122324/http://ddexpress.info/former-nhler-schuberts-last-ditch-effort-to-save-hamburg-freezers-fails-del-team-folds/|url-status=dead}} Only a couple of days later, he was picked up by another DEL team, Adler Mannheim.{{Cite web|url=http://www.adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=4995|title=ADLER Mannheim|website=www.adler-mannheim.de|access-date=2016-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530193943/http://www.adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=4995|archive-date=2016-05-30|url-status=dead}} He signed a three-year deal with the Adler organization.

During the final season of his contract with Adler in 2018–19, Festerling signed in advance for the 2019–20 season, agreeing to a two-year contract with rival club Grizzlys Wolfsburg on January 19, 2019.{{cite web | url = https://www.grizzlys.de/news_1035.html | title = Grizzlys sign Garrett Festerling | publisher = Grizzlys Wolfsburg | date = 2019-01-19 | accessdate = 2019-01-19}} He proceeded to contribute offensively with Adler, enjoying his most productive season with the club with 33 points in 52 games and helping claim the DEL championship in the playoffs.

On May 5, 2022, Festerling was signed to a one-year contact in joining his fifth DEL club, Straubing Tigers, for the 2022–23 season.{{cite web | url = https://www.straubing-tigers.de/straubing-tigers-holen-garrett-festerling/ | title = Straubing Tigers bring in Garrett Festerling | publisher = Straubing Tigers | date = May 5, 2022 | accessdate = May 5, 2022 | language = German}}

International play

In December 2011, Festerling made his debut on the German Men's National Team in an exhibition game against Russia.{{Cite web|title = Eishockey-Länderspiel: DEB-Auswahl überrascht gegen Russland|url = http://www.rp-online.de/sport/eishockey/deb-auswahl-ueberrascht-gegen-russland-aid-1.2639248|website = RP ONLINE|access-date = 2016-02-14|first = RP|last = ONLINE| date=13 December 2011 }}

Personal life

His twin brother Brett Festerling previously played in the Winnipeg Jets organization of the National Hockey League.

Festerling's grandfather emigrated from Hamburg, Germany, to Canada after World War II.{{Cite web|title = Garrett Festerlings mühsamer Weg zurück auf das Eis|url = http://www.abendblatt.de/sport/article107838586/Garrett-Festerlings-muehsamer-Weg-zurueck-auf-das-Eis.html|website = www.abendblatt.de|access-date = 2016-02-14|language = de-DE|first = Hamburger Abendblatt -|last = Hamburg| date=18 August 2010 }}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

ALIGN="center"

| 2002–03

| Vernon Vipers

| BCHL

| 43

| 7

| 5

| 12

| 10

| —

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2003–04

| Portland Winterhawks

| WHL

| 37

| 4

| 12

| 16

| 37

| 5

| 0

| 1

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2004–05

| Portland Winterhawks

| WHL

| 72

| 14

| 20

| 34

| 45

| 7

| 1

| 2

| 4

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2005–06

| Regina Pats

| WHL

| 72

| 22

| 36

| 58

| 51

| 6

| 3

| 4

| 7

| 6

ALIGN="center"

| 2006–07

| Regina Pats

| WHL

| 67

| 22

| 51

| 73

| 46

| 10

| 5

| 7

| 12

| 16

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2006–07

| Oklahoma City Blazers

| CHL

| —

| 1

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2007–08

| EV Füssen

| 3.GBun

| 45

| 50

| 70

| 120

| 46

| 11

| 5

| 8

| 13

| 16

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2008–09

| Hannover Scorpions

| DEL

| 43

| 1

| 4

| 5

| 14

| 8

| 0

| 2

| 4

ALIGN="center"

| 2009–10

| Hannover Scorpions

| DEL

| 18

| 2

| 3

| 5

| 2

| 11

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010–11

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 50

| 4

| 15

| 19

| 18

| —

ALIGN="center"

| 2011–12

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 52

| 11

| 22

| 33

| 40

| 5

| 0

| 14

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012–13

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 52

| 14

| 22

| 36

| 24

| 6

| 2

| 1

| 3

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2013–14

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 52

| 8

| 29

| 37

| 14

| 12

| 4

| 3

| 7

| 10

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2014–15

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 40

| 14

| 18

| 32

| 45

| 7

| 1

| 2

| 3

| 6

ALIGN="center"

| 2015–16

| Hamburg Freezers

| DEL

| 30

| 7

| 16

| 23

| 33

| —

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2016–17

| Adler Mannheim

| DEL

| 37

| 11

| 16

| 27

| 29

| 7

| 1

| 2

ALIGN="center"

| 2017–18

| Adler Mannheim

| DEL

| 45

| 10

| 19

| 29

| 4

| 10

| 2

| 4

| 6

| 2

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018–19

| Adler Mannheim

| DEL

| 52

| 16

| 17

| 33

| 24

| 14

| 2

| 6

| 8

ALIGN="center"

| 2019–20

| Grizzlys Wolfsburg

| DEL

| 52

| 13

| 22

| 35

| 14

| —

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2020–21

| Grizzlys Wolfsburg

| DEL

| 32

| 8

| 11

| 19

| 14

| 9

| 3

| 2

| 5

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2021–22

| Grizzlys Wolfsburg

| DEL

| 51

| 4

| 14

| 18

| 6

| 8

| 0

| 3

| 12

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022–23

| Straubing Tigers

| DEL

| 30

| 6

| 4

| 10

| 31

| —

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | DEL totals

! 636

! 129

! 232

! 361

! 312

! 97

! 16

! 24

! 40

! 58

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
style="text-align:center;"	2013	Germany	OGQ	NQ	3	0	1	1	0
style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="4" \| Senior totals ! style="text-align:center;"\| 3 ! style="text-align:center;"\| 0 ! style="text-align:center;"\| 1 ! style="text-align:center;"\| 1 ! style="text-align:center;"\| 0

Awards and honours

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | DEL

Champion (Hannover Scorpions)

| 2010

Champion (Adler Mannheim)

| 2019

| {{cite web| url = https://www.iihf.com/en/news/10501/adler-mannheim-wins-del | title = Adler Mannheim wins DEL | publisher = IIHF | date = 2019-04-27 | accessdate = 2019-04-27}}