UNH Commits Update 11-16-18: Tim Stützle Dominating DNL U20

Tim Stützle
2020 UNH Commit

Player Spotlight - Tim Stützle

"Tim Stützle: The next big thing in German hockey! 02 born and already best player on the U20-team." Thomas Roost, NHL Central Scouting

"No doubt about it. Easily at least a top-15 NHL pick in my eyes. #2020NHLDraft" Janik Beichler, Regional Scout Germany, Future Considerations Hockey

At the age of 16 years, 10 months, Tim Stützle (DOB: 1/15/2002) is the leading scorer in the Under 20 German Development League (DNL). The 5'11", 172 lbs. center for the first-place Mannheim Young Eagles (Jungadler Mannheim U20) leads the league in goals (19), assists (30), and plus/minus (+32). The second through fifth-leading scorers in the league range in age from 17 years, 3 months to 19 years, 8 months.

These video highlights, from the Young Eagles' 6-3 win over the Bad Tolz U20 team on November 4th, show Stützle scoring his 18th and 19th goals of the season and dishing his 30th assist. He's wearing #8 in the Young Eagles' blue jersey.



Tim Stützle verbally committed to UNH and Coach Mike Souza late in 2017. Last week, two NHL scouts described his prospects for being drafted in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft in glowing terms (see quotes above). Needless to say, the UNH coaching staff want Stützle's journey to a professional hockey career to include a stretch in Durham in a Wildcat uniform.

In general, elite, young players from Germany have at least two alternative avenues to professional hockey which do not involve playing NCAA hockey and would compromise their NCAA eligibility. First, the Canadian Hockey League ("Major Junior") conducts an annual Import Draft in late June or early July. Stützle will be eligible for the 2019 CHL Import Draft. Second, players as young as 17 can play professional hockey with a team in the Germany Hockey League (Deutsche Eishockey Liga/DEL). The youngest player in the DEL this season is Moritz Seider, a 17-year-old player for the Mannheim Eagles. He and Stützle were teammates last season on the Mannheim Young Eagles U19 team.

In an interview on August 31st with Janik Beichler, Regional Scout for Future Considerations Hockey, Stützle said this about his commitment to UNH:

"It's not 100% certain yet (...) but I think if I go to North America, it'll probably be the college route because there I can connect school and athletics. I was over there a while ago and got to see everything. I had a lot of fun there and it was great to see everything. They really want me to come over, that was very important for me too."

2018-19 Statistics

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2019 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2019. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2019 Commits
Lucas Bahn 9/11/99 (D)	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	25	1	9	10	2
Nolan McElhaney 4/22/99 (D)	Omaha Lancers	USHL	5	0	0	0	2
Chase Stevenson 1/13/99 (F)	Surrey Eagles	BCHL	25	10	12	22	37
2019 or '20 Commits
Will Margel 3/16/01 (F)	Selects Academy 18U	Overall	31	20	15	35	12
		USPHL 18U	-	-	-	-	-
		BEAST Series	10	9	5	14	8
		NE Regionals	5	3	3	6	-
Connor Sweeney 5/5/00 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	Islanders Hockey Club	NCDC	1	2	0	2	0
	Little Bruins 18U	Mass Regionals	2	1	0	1	-
Marek Wazny 2/21/00 (F)	Maryland Black Bears	NAHL	20	1	8	9	10
2020 Commits
Aidan Curran 1/22/01 (F)	NH Jr Monarchs	NCDC	22	3	25	28	16
Zack Jones 3/31/01 (F)	Boston Bandits	NCDC	21	4	13	17	4
Tim Stützle 1/15/02 (F)	Mannheim Young Eagles	DNL U20	18	19	30	49	32
	Team Germany U17	Intnl	-	-	-	-	-
2021 Commits
Liam Devlin 1/7/01 (F)	St. Sebastian's	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	Boston Jr. Eagles	EHF Selects	11	3	5	8	8
		Mass Regionals	3	3	0	3	-
2021 or '22 Commits
David Sacco 1/3/02 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

News & Notes

State/Regional 18U Championships:

~ 2021 UNH commit Liam Devlin and the Boston Junior Eagles won the Massachusetts Hockey 18U Tier I State Championships last weekend. Devlin scored 3 goals in 3 games, including two in the 4-2 win in the championship game. The team earned a berth in the USA Hockey 18U Tier I Nationals next April. Devlin begins the regular season with the St. Sebastian's School on November 28th.

~ 2019 or '20 commit Connor Sweeney and the Little Bruins also competed in the Massachusetts Hockey 18U Tier I State Championships. Sweeney tallied one goal in 2 games and the Little Bruins lost in the quarterfinals. Sweeney begins his senior season with Lawrence Academy on November 30th.

~ 2019 or '20 commit Will Margel and the Selects Academy/Central Connecticut 18U team competed in the New England District 18U Tier I Tournament last weekend. The Selects Academy lost to Yale 18U in the Championship Game. Margel scored 3 goals and added 3 assists in the 5 games.