Thimo Nickl
{{short description|Austrian ice hockey player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| alt =
| team = EC KAC
| league = ICEHL
| prospect_team =
| prospect_league =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| position = Defenceman
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 176
| shoots = Right
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2001|12|04}}
| birth_place = Klagenfurt, Austria
| former_teams = Rögle BK
| draft_team = Anaheim Ducks
| draft = 140th overall
| draft_year = 2020
| ntl_team=Austria
| career_start = 2017
| career_end =
}}
Thimo Nickl (born 4 December 2001) is an Austrian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for EC KAC of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). Nickl was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, 120th overall, in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Nickl began his career with hometown club EC KAC in Klagenfurt and worked his way through the club's youth teams. He made his adult debut for the club in October 2016 in the Alps Hockey League. In 2019, he joined Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.{{cite web |title=EC-KAC Brings Back Thimo Nickl |url=https://www.ice.hockey/en/news-en/?id10736/194819 |publisher=ICE Hockey League |access-date=6 May 2024}}
Nickl was drafted in the 4th round, 104th overall, in the 2020 NHL entry draft by the Anaheim Ducks. In the process, he became the first Austrian player ever selected by the club and the first player from Klagenfurt ever taken in the draft by any team.{{cite web |title=Ducks Select Defenseman Thimo Nickl with 104th Overall Pick |url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/anaheim-ducks-select-defenseman-thimo-nickl-with-104-overall-selection-in-2020-nhl-draft |publisher=San Diego Gulls |access-date=3 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=EC-KAC holt Thimo Nickl zurück |url=https://www.kac.at/news/2024/02/ec-kac-holt-thimo-nickl-zurueck/ |publisher=EC KAC |access-date=6 May 2024 |language=German}} In 2020, the player remained in Europe because of the COVID-19 pandemic and joined Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League. During the season, he was loaned out to AIK IF. During the loan, Nickl recorded ten points in thirty-eight appearances, prompting AIK to sign the player permanently the following season.{{cite web |last1=Olausson |first1=Robin |title=Thimo Nickl klar för AIK |url=https://hockeysverige.se/2022/04/27/thimo-nickl-klar-for-aik |publisher=Hockey Sverige |access-date=6 May 2024 |language=Swedish}}
On 30 March 2023, it was announced that Nickl's NHL rights had been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Judd Caulfield.{{cite web |last1=Horwat |first1=Nick |title=Penguins Acquire Prospect Defender Thimo Nickl |date=31 March 2023 |url=https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-acquire-prospect-defender-thimo-nickl |publisher=The Hockey News |access-date=3 May 2024}} Following three seasons of playing in Sweden, Nickl signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League in July 2023 with the Penguins organization retaining his league rights until 1 June 2024. With the contract, he became the first-ever player from Austria to join Wilkes-Barre.{{cite web |last1=Rorabaugh |first1=Seth |title=Penguins defensive prospect Thimo Nickl signs with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton |date=10 July 2023 |url=https://triblive.com/sports/penguins-defensive-prospect-thimo-nickl-signs-with-wilkes-barre-scranton/ |publisher=Tribune Review |access-date=6 May 2024}} Nickl was assigned to the Penguins' ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers, in October 2023.{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Tom |title=Penguins organization makes moves ahead of Friday's AHL opener |date=11 October 2023 |url=https://www.timesleader.com/sports/1623454/penguins-organization-makes-moves-ahead-of-fridays-ahl-opener |publisher=Times Leader |access-date=6 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Nailers Receive Eight Players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton |url=https://wheelingnailers.com/news/2023/10/nailers-receive-eight-players-from-wilkes-barrescranton |publisher=Wheeling Nailers |access-date=6 May 2024}} In the process, he became the first-ever Austrian player to join the club.{{cite web |last1=Lloyd |first1=Dugan |title=Across The Pond: Thimo Nickl Reflects on Becoming 1st Austrian-Born Nailer |date=26 February 2024 |url=https://www.wtrf.com/sports/across-the-pond-thimo-nickl-reflects-on-becoming-1st-austrian-born-nailer/ |publisher=WTRF |access-date=6 May 2024}} He made his debut for the club on 15 October 2023 in a game against the Cincinnati Cyclones in the Nailers' opening game of the 2023–24 ECHL season. Within the first three minutes, Nickl assisted on a goal by David Jankowski in the eventual 4–1 victory.{{cite web |title=Exporte: Nickl schreibt in der ECHL erstmals an |date=24 October 2023 |url=https://hockey-news.info/exporte-nickl-schreibt-in-der-echl-erstmals-an/ |publisher=hockey-news.info |access-date=6 May 2024 |language=German}} He scored his first professional goal in North America against the Reading Royals on 5 November.{{cite web |title=Hats Off for Frasca, Nailers in Weekend Sweep |url=https://wheelingnailers.com/news/2023/11/hats-off-for-frasca-nailers-in-weekend-sweep |publisher=Wheeling Nailers |access-date=6 May 2024}}
In February 2024, it was announced that Nickl had re-signed for EC KAC and would return to the club by summer 2024, at the latest. The deal included the European rights for the player and various exit clauses.{{cite web |last1=Rorabaugh |first1=Seth |title=Penguins claim forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from Capitals |date=16 February 2024 |url=https://triblive.com/sports/penguins-claim-forward-matthew-phillips-off-waivers-from-capitals/ |publisher=Tribune Review |access-date=6 May 2024}} He was re-activated on the Nailers roster in March 2024 to finish out the ECHL season.{{cite web |title=ECHL Transactions - March 13 |url=https://echl.com/news/2024/03/echl-transactions-march-13 |publisher=ECHL |access-date=6 May 2024}}
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 | ||||||||
| 2016–17
| AlpsHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2017–18 | EC KAC II | AlpsHL | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19
| EC KAC II | AlpsHL | 24 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 20
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2019–20 | QMJHL | 58 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 43
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21
| Rögle BK | J20 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020–21 | Rögle BK | SHL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21
| Mora IK | Allsv | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021–22 | AIK IF | Allsv | 38 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 22
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022–23
| AIK IF | Allsv | 47 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 69
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023–24 | ECHL | 66 | 2 | 19 | 21 | 42
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024–25
| EC KAC | ICEHL | 47 | 2 | 21 | 23 | 80
| 17 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|SHL totals ! 15 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 2 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|ICEHL totals ! 47 !! 2 !! 21 !! 23 !! 80 ! 17 !! 2 !! 5 !! 7 !! 8 |
=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 | ||||
| 2018
| Austria | WJC18-D1 | 18th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018 | Austria | WJC-D1 | 15th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2019
| Austria | WJC18-D1 | 18th | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 20 | ||||
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2019 | Austria | WJC-D1 | 15th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| 2020
| Austria | WJC-D1 | 11th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023 | Austria | WC | 14th | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024
| Austria | WC | 10th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2024 | Austria | OGQ | DNQ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" | Junior totals ! 25 !! 1 !! 12 !! 13 !! 24 | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" | Senior totals ! 15 !! 1 !! 1 !! 2 !! 0 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{icehockeystats}}
- [https://wheelingnailers.com/players/9979/thimo-nickl Wheeling Nailers profile]
- [https://echl.com/players/9979/thimo-nickl ECHL profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nickl, Thimo}}
Category:Anaheim Ducks draft picks
Category:Austrian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Austrian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Category:Drummondville Voltigeurs players