Niklas Wellen

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Niklas Wellen

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|12|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Krefeld, Germany{{cite web |title=Niklas Wellen |url=http://www.deutsche-olympiamannschaft.de/de/athleten/detail/a_action/show/a_athletes/niklas-wellen-1976.html |website=Deutsche-Olympiamannschaft.de |language=de |publisher=Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund |accessdate=2 September 2016}}

| height = 1.85 m

| weight = 77 kg

| position = Forward

| currentclub = Crefelder HTC

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Crefelder HTC

| years1 = 2010–2020

| clubs1 = Crefelder HTC

| years2 = 2020–2022

| clubs2 = Pinoké

| years3 = 2022–present

| clubs3 = Crefelder HTC

| nationalyears1 = 2013–2024

| nationalteam1 = Germany

| nationalcaps1 = 213

| nationalgoals1 = 114

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GER}}}}

| updated = 12 January 2024

}}

Niklas Wellen (born 14 December 1994){{cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/niklas-wellen |title=Niklas Wellen |website=Rio2016.com |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |accessdate=19 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815074051/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/niklas-wellen |archive-date=15 August 2016 |url-status=live }} is a German field hockey player who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Crefelder HTC. He played a total of 213 matches for the German national team from 2013 to 2024 in which he scored 114 goals.{{cite web |title=Nationalspieler Portraits |url=http://www.hockey.de/VVI-web/default.asp?lokal=DHB&innen=/VVI-web/Auswahl-Teams/Nationalspieler-Anzeige.asp&persid=131013 |website=www.hockey.de |publisher=German Hockey Federation |accessdate=4 November 2019 |language=de}}

Club career

Wellen played for the first team of Crefelder HTC since he was 16 years old.{{cite web |last1=Wester |first1=Eelko |title=Duits international Niklas Wellen naar Pinoké |url=https://hockey.nl/nieuws/hoofdklasse-heren/duits-international-niklas-wellen-naar-pinoke/ |website=hockey.nl |accessdate=13 February 2020 |language=nl |date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213152350/https://hockey.nl/nieuws/hoofdklasse-heren/duits-international-niklas-wellen-naar-pinoke/ |archive-date=13 February 2020 |url-status=live }} In February 2020 he signed a two-year contract at Pinoké in the Netherlands from the 2020–21 season onwards. During the 2021–22 indoor season he scored the winning goal in the championship final against HDM as Pinoké won its first national title. He was named the best player of the Dutch indoor season.{{cite web |last1=Borcherts |first1=Reemt |title=Niklas Wellen en Mila Muyselaar beste spelers dit zaalseizoen |url=https://hockey.nl/nieuws/zaalhockey/verkiezing-wie-is-de-beste-zaalspeler-m-v-van-de-hoofdklasse/ |website=hockey.nl |access-date=7 February 2023 |language=nl |date=29 January 2022}} At the end of the outdoor season he returned to Crefelder HTC.{{cite web |last1=Borcherts |first1=Reemt |title=Pinoké kiest helemaal zijn eigen weg naar het nieuwe seizoen |url=https://hockey.nl/nieuws/tulp-hoofdklasse-heren/pinoke-kiest-helemaal-zijn-eigen-weg-naar-het-nieuwe-seizoen/ |website=hockey.nl |access-date=7 February 2023 |language=nl |date=25 August 2022}}

International career

He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze medal. On 28 May 2021, he was named in the squads for the 2021 EuroHockey Championship and the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|title=DHB-Herren: Das Team für Olympia steht (fast)|url=https://web.hockey.de/news/fmj1v7.html|website=hockey.de|access-date=28 May 2021|language=de|date=28 May 2021|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210607030932/https://web.hockey.de/news/fmj1v7.html|url-status=dead}} He scored four goals in the EuroHockey tournament as they won the silver medal after they lost the final to the Netherlands after a shoot-out.{{cite web |last1=Sinnige |first1=Clarinda |title=Netherlands win final after late 'german' equalizer |url=https://rabo-eurohockeychampionships2021.com/nieuws/netherlands-win-final-after-late-german-equalizer/ |access-date=12 June 2021}}

He was the Player of the Final Match, Best Forward Player, and the Player of the Tournament in the FIH Men's World Cup 2023 held in India.{{Cite web |title=FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 award winners |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/fih-men-hockey-world-cup-2023-awards |access-date=5 August 2024}} After the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Germany won the silver medal, he announced his retirement from the national team.{{cite web |title=Seven Germany hockey stars end international careers |url=https://www.thehockeypaper.co.uk/articles/2024/12/16/seven-germany-hockey-stars-end-international-careers |website=thehockeypaper.co.uk |publisher=The Hockey Paper |access-date=12 January 2025 |date=16 December 2024}}{{cite web |title=Niklas Wellen beendet seine Karriere in der deutschen Hockey-Nationalmannschaft |url=https://magazin.hockey.de/articles/niklas-wellen-beendet-seine-karriere-in-der-nationalmannschaft |website=hockey.de |publisher=German Hockey Federation |access-date=12 January 2025 |language=de |date=4 December 2024}}

Personal life

Wellen's wife Kim is the sister of NHL player Leon Draisaitl. The couple have one son, Carlo born in 2023.{{cite web|title=Deutscher Hockey-Star liebt Schwester von deutscher Wintersport-Legende|url=https://www.fr.de/sport/sport-mix/draisaitl-deutscher-hockey-star-liebt-schwester-deutscher-wintersport-legende-olympia-nhl-zr-93214613.html|date= July 31, 2024 |last=Skiba |first=Johannes|lang=german}}