In Other Words: Tobias Rieder
The Kitchener Rangers welcome 17 year old Tobias Rieder from Landshut, Bavaria in the south-east of Germany. The 5'10, 176 lb import forward has signed an Ontario Hockey League contract with the squad, after being selected fifth overall in the 2010 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
“I think it's best for me to come over,” commented Rieder. “I want to play the best hockey I can play and against the best players in my age group.”
Head Coach and General Manager Steve Spott is equally as excited for Rider, commenting, “Tobias has demonstrated that he is a world class player and we are excited that he has chosen Kitchener to help him achieve his goals of playing professional hockey.”
A tenth grade student in Germany, Rieder won't have much difficulty picking up the English language, as he's been taught it in school.
“I talked a lot to the import players in Landshut last year too,” he added.
Rieder played for the Landshut Cannibals of the 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga - the Second German Professional League, for the 2009-2010 season. In his debut season, he acquired 10 goals and 13 assists for a total of 23 points in 45 games played. With an impressive rookie campaign, he was named the 2009-2010 Rookie of the Year for the league.
Prior to playing for the Cannibals, Rieder played for EV Landshut - the team's junior squad. He has been awarded Player of the Game on multiple occasions, as well as Playoff MVP.
Scouts and coaches have described Rieder as a highly skilled forward ital plays with an edge, having the ability to be a game-breaker when needed. He himself has noted his best assets as stick handling and skating, as well as being one-on-one in the zone.
Is there room for improvement?
“I want to improve everything here,” said Rieder.
He would also say he models his game most after Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils. Aside from the raw tools that both possess on the front line, Rieder also shares another hockey commonality with Parise: it runs in the family. Parise's father played in the National League, while Rider's father played in the Second German Professional League. Mr. Rieder was a goaltender in the league and also played for the German Junior National Team. He's still involved in the league now, driving the team bus for the Cannibals.
Like father like son, Tobias has also represented Germany on several occasions: the IIHF World Junior Championships, the IIHF Skill Challenge, the U-18 World Championships, and the U-17 World Hockey Challenge.
The IHF Skill Challenge and the U-17 World Hockey Challenge gave Rieder the opportunity to travel to Canada - to Quebec and Vancouver respectively.
At the IIHF World Junior Championships his team went undefeated to earn a berth in the 2011 World Junior Championships to be held in Buffalo. Rieder tied for second in scoring on his team with four goals and two assists in five games played.
“I have coached against Tobias at the U-18 World Championships and he was one of the elite players in the tournament as an underage,” said Spott.
In the U-18 tournament, Rider scored one goal and notched three assists in six games played.
Outside of hockey, Rider stays active playing soccer. Fußball - “It's big in Germany,” he says.
When asked what he will miss most about Germany, Rider confessed his family and friends will be the hardest to leave behind. “And of course the German food,” he laughed.
Rieder will say 'auf Wiedersehen' to his father, mother, and older sister in Germany and head to Kitchener to pursue his ultimate goal of playing in the National Hockey League.
As a hockey player, “of course I want to make it to the NHL,” he said. “I want to be the best player I can be.”
“He will be an exciting addition to our line-up and I am confident that our fans will appreciate his skill level and the way he plays,” added Spott.
Rieder is eligible for the 2011 NHL Draft.
