Markus Schauer

[Plate 386]

Markus Schauer was born in Cologne, June 21, 2003. His father, Jonas Schauer, was a carpenter who drove the Zamboni for the local ice rink. Sofia, Markus’ mother, was always supportive of a potential hockey future for her child.

 

Jonas would take little Schauer to the rink whenever he needed to clean the ice. Those would be the fondest memories that Schauer had of his father, who later died in 2010. Markus is a passionate player that takes the game very seriously.

 

At the ripe age of 12 Markus moved with his mother to join the German U16 team Jungadler Mannheim. In his entire U16 career, he played 181 games with a tally of 114 points. He only made the playoffs twice, where he performed poorly. The pressure was too much for young Markus, as he only scored one point in 9 total playoff games.

Hockey critics have had much to say positively about his play.

 

“Schauer’s best attribute is his hockey sense. It is elite. He can anticipate plays, sometimes two steps ahead of his opponents, EPrinkside.com 2019

 

“He recognizes his options when playing the puck and rarely makes an unforced error, McKeen's Hockey 2019

 

Schauer is a two-way defenseman that plays both sides of the ice very well. He uses his hockey senses to break passes and find slots. His saucer passes, or “Schaucer” passes as his team mates lovingly call them, are an incredible tool in his arsenal. Defensively, he makes consistent plays that allow him to block shots or keep players outside of the slot.

 

Schauer recently turned 17, as in yesterday, and therefore was ineligible to continue his journey in the U16 German hockey programs. There were offers from teams that were interested in seeing him play U19 hockey in Germany, but Markus had other plans.

 

The VHLM has seen amazing development out of players, and with the built-in major system of the VHL, it was a sure choice for Markus. The strong international competition Schauer may find it hard to adapt to the playstyle. Time will be able to determine if Markus can put his offensive production to use, or if he will just be a defensive liability.

 

But of course, he needs a team. As  S72 ends Markus needs to pick a team to sign to. He has gotten offers from Ottawa, Saskatoon, Miami and Yukon. The prize is high, and the suspense is even higher.

 

I’m joking, he signed with Ottawa.