Brayden Albrecht-Junior Career Review

[Gage2 20]

Brayden Albrecht-The Horns Of The Bull

At the age of just 17 Brayden Albrecht stepped on the ice for Alder Mannheim of the DEL, The highest league of German professional hockey. As quickly as he moved up the ice, even quicker he fell. 

 

The DEL is not a junior league but considering his talent he skipped the lower levels of German play. With that being said Most of the teams Brayden faced were filled with people nearly old enough to pass for his dad and there was no mercy from his opponents despite his age. Coming into the DEL Brayden Albrecht was supposed to be the next big offensive star, someone who could dance up and down the ice and dangle all around. The menacing defense the opponents had did not like the fancy style that he displayed. To put it simply Albrecht was getting bulldozed nearly every game. It was so bad that Alder Mannheim was trying to find a loan partner and make Albrecht a healthy scratch by the end of the season. Things did not look promising, The once highly recruited Albrecht was about to fade out and just could not cut it with the big dogs. They were stronger, faster, and more experienced than him. The writing was on the wall in his DEL future.

 

In the offseason Brayden came up with a plan, Get jacked and get good at defense, Sure he couldn't do all the fancy stuff anymore but considering how physical the German game is, it would mean at least something to Alder Mannheim if he could try and do something to help with the right trainers and the right plan things turned around. The high-protein diet was working, the pounds were coming on, and the weights were getting bigger. In practice, the work was paying off. The hits were being delivered which gained attention from the coaches and the respect of the players. Now that the physical and defensive side of the game was addressed, Brayden got right back on track offensively despite the muscle making him a bit slower. 

 

In just his second season at Alder Mannheim, things went from 0 to 100. Not only did Brayden play better but the whole team was looking great. The faceoff circle was dominated by the big man in the center, It got to the point where the DEL commentators considered Brayden Albrecht to be the 3rd defenseman on the ice. The confidence, strength, and raw talent saw the stats sheet pile up, and the VHLM interest took off. The tough, gritty yet also somehow calculated and strategic style of play made its way to Houston. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Gage2