German Ice Hockey League - Iserlohn's Ugbekile will not be moving to Frankfurt after all
Iserlohn Roosters can count on the services of defender and national player Colin Ugbekile again in the upcoming season. The team from the German Ice Hockey League announced on Thursday that the previously planned transfer of the 24-year-old to league rivals Löwen Frankfurt due to family reasons had fallen through. Instead, the World Championship participant will play for the Roosters in the new season. Ugbekile is thus entering his third season at Seilersee.
"Colin will not take up his contract at Löwen Frankfurt", said Löwen sports director Daniel Heinrizi in a statement also released on Thursday by the Hessen. "We did everything possible to offer help on our side. In the end, however, the termination of the contract was necessary." The decision was not an easy one for Ugbekile, he said, "but sometimes in life you have to set priorities, and that's what I'm doing in this case".
"The circumstances were and are personally difficult for me"
The defender had informed the Roosters at the end of the previous season that he would accept the offer from Frankfurt. "The circumstances were and are personally difficult for me, but I'm very happy that we were able to reach an agreement and that I'll still be playing for the Roosters", said Ugbekile.
Ugbekile played in all 52 games last season and was the Roosters' top-scoring defenseman with 33 scorer points (12 goals/21 assists). He recorded seven points (2 assists) in seven games at the World Championship in the Czech Republic, where the DEB team lost in the quarterfinals to Switzerland.
Statement Iserlohn Roosters Statement Löwen Frankfurt
- Despite initially accepting the offer from Lions Frankfurt, national player Colin Ugbekile will continue his ice hockey career in Hesse with Lions Frankfurt's rival team, Iserlohn Roosters.
- The Iserlohn Roosters, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, are fortunate to have the services of defender Colin Ugbekile for the upcoming season, as the transfer to Lions Frankfurt failed due to personal reasons.
- The DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) teams, Iserlohn Roosters and Lions Frankfurt, will both have Colin Ugbekile in their rosters for the new season, after the World Championship participant decided to reconsider his decision to join Lions Frankfurt.
- In the 2022-2023 ice hockey season, both the Iserlohn Roosters from North Rhine-Westphalia and Lions Frankfurt, based in Hesse, will be competing in the DEL with Germany's national player Colin Ugbekile on their teams.
