Springside native and former Yorkton Terrier Chad Nehring has inked a two-year contract with a German hockey league.
The 30-year-old forward has signed on with the Fischtown Pinguins (DEL) of the German Ice Hockey League.
“It was kinda in the works for a bit,” said Nehring.
He added that playing hockey overseas has been a plan of his for a while, but he just didn’t know when the timing would work out.
“It was my time to head over and start a new chapter in my career,” he said.
Nehring spent last season with the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Senators. During the season, he racked up five goals and 13 assists.
Heading to Germany isn’t totally foreign ground for the Saskatchewan hockey player.
“My dad’s dad was born in Germany, so I have roots there. It’s nice to have that,” he said. The contract he signed will include a German passport so he won’t be considered an import.
When asked about the comparison of North American hockey to German hockey, he said there aren’t too many differences.
“There’s a lot more room because they play on Olympic-sized ice, so there’s more room to make plays,” he explained. Nehring added that his friends in the league said it’s a similar playing style to the AHL – it’ll still be a pretty rough and tough game.
Nehring will be spending the next few weeks living in Las Vegas before he heads overseas at the end of July.
