| Birth Date: | 1950 10, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Citice, Czechoslovakia |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 5 |
| Weight Lb: | 213 |
| Position: | Centre |
| Shoots: | Left |
| Ntl Team: | FRG |
| Career Start: | 1968 |
| Career End: | 1989 |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Erich Kühnhackl (born 17 October 1950) is a German former professional ice hockey player, born and raised in Czechoslovakia. He is one of the all-time greats of German ice hockey and was named Germany's ice hockey player of the 20th century in 2000.[1] Kühnhackl is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame[2] [3] as well as of the German ice hockey Hall of Fame[4] and Germany's Sport Hall of Fame.[5]
He won four German Championships and a bronze medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck and is widely regarded as the best German hockey player ever and was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1997. Kühnhackl was also named the German ice hockey player of the Century in 2000. His nickname "Kleiderschrank auf Kufen"[6] (wardrobe on skates) refers to his mighty appearance. In Finland he is known as Iso-Eerikki (Big Eric) for the same reason.
After his playing career Kühnhackl worked as coach of EV Landshut, German National Team, EC Bad Nauheim, Erding Jets, Polar Bears Regensburg and the Straubing Tigers. He served as sport director for the Frankfurt Lions of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga[7] from June 2009 to June 2010[8] and was vice president of the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund, the German ice hockey federation,[9] between 2010 and 2014.
He and his parents, who were of German descent,[11] emigrated from Czechoslovakia after the Soviet occupation in 1968.[12]
In 2010, his son Tom was drafted in the 4th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1968–69 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 40 | 38 | 30 | 68 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 36 | 50 | 26 | 76 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 47 | 20 | 67 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Kölner EC | 1.GBun | 40 | 47 | 26 | 73 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Kölner EC | 1.GBun | 46 | 52 | 43 | 95 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Kölner EC | 1.GBun | 52 | 59 | 58 | 117 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 48 | 83 | 72 | 155 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 44 | 40 | 46 | 86 | 74 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1981–82 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 38 | 41 | 61 | 102 | 34 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 4 | ||
| 1982–83 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 36 | 32 | 48 | 80 | 70 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | — | ||
| 1983–84 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 43 | 35 | 52 | 87 | 75 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 15 | — | ||
| 1984–85 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 36 | 30 | 39 | 69 | 59 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1985–86 | EHC Olten | NDA | 35 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | EHC Olten | NDA | 15 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 35 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | EV Landshut | 1.GBun | 36 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1.GBun totals | 751 | 691 | 662 | 1353 | 1030 | 37 | 23 | 32 | 55 | — | ||||
| NDA totals | 50 | 28 | 31 | 59 | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | West Germany | OLY | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | |
| 1976 | West Germany | 10 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 18 | ||
| 1977 | West Germany | WC | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 24 | |
| 1978 | West Germany | WC | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 6 | |
| 1981 | West Germany | WC | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | |
| 1982 | West Germany | WC | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |
| 1983 | West Germany | WC | 10 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 28 | |
| 1984 | West Germany | OLY | 6 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 12 | |
| 1985 | West Germany | WC | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | |
| Senior totals | 76 | 47 | 43 | 90 | 138 | |||