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He played for Krefeld's junior system until the summer of 1995. Then, with just 16 years the club gave him a chance to play in his first pro games for Krefeld's farmteam in the 95-96' season. This team, which has many very young players on his roster played in the north division of the third german league, called 2.Liga Nord. Good place to learn from the pros for Hyun, who recorded three points in his first seven pro games. Sixteen goals and ten assists in the youth team in the same season speaks the language, that he has more a goalscoring like an playmaking touch.

One year later, one chance higher: The DEL team from Krefeld, the Krefelder EV, gave him and defender Rene Mengel a chance to shine in their pro team. So, Hyun appeared in five pre-season games where he recorded two goals. A sensational qoute if you look on his age - he was just 17 years old. And a happy young gun, he was also on the official team roster and team photo. But his breakthrough get a break as the regualar season starts. The coaches said he was to young to make the team, now, they send him back to their farmteam. There he played in 27 games and recorded 12 points. He played at the second line and gets some ice-time at power-play situations.

Playing on their second PP-line the ice-time reduced to some minutes, but Hyun played in many penalty killing situations. A good defense work from him in 4-5 situations is one reason, but not the real deal, he wasn't so good in one-to-one situations. The other reason is that the small wing is very quick on his skates and that he scored some goals in his junior career after breakaways. Tobias Grossecker, in some games a linemate from Hyun played junior hockey in north america, too. The Junior Penguins from Pittsburgh where his home for the 1998-99 season.

The Krefelder officials liquidate their farmteam and Hyun saws no future for him at his homeclub in this situation. So, he would like to go to america. But it's not easy for a young german hockeyplayer to find a good scholastic team in america. Oliver Jonas, who played the last four years for Harvard University, was at the Breck High School in Minnesota at this time. Jonas and german hockey sports manager Anton Waldmann introduced him to Benilde St. Margaret's, a High School in Minnesota, too.

- 'Hello Minnesota and hello Mister Blatherwick!' -

Jack Blatherwick, the assistant coach from Benilde St. Margaret's (most people call the High School 'BSM') was the coach for condition from the United States at the four olympic games. The most interested game take place in 1980, where the USA won the gold medal. Undisputed, a coach with many expierences which can help Hyun in his development.

BSM played in the Minnesota High School League. The Varsity Team, called Red Knights have established themselves as one of the top Class 'A' programs in the state of Minnesota. It seems to be a good place for young players. So, Martin's first season in the united states goes by and he often showed his two biggest strengths, his fast skating and his good shot. He scored 26 goals in 25 games and finished fourth in BSM's scoring table with 43 points. The team's top scorer, Troy Riddle was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the last draft, they picked him in the fourth round as the 129th overall. Riddle leaves the team, went to Des Moines in the USHL and plays currently for the University of Minnesota in the WCHA. His brother Jake was also drafted in this years NHL Entry Draft (from Minnesota Wild). Hyun's team finished the season with an 18-6-1 record.

Ken Pauly, BSM's coach: "Martin was a very strong forward with an excellent shot and superior skating skills. He was little immature as a player and he needed to learn more about the defensive end of the game and not be so temperamental or emotional. He's an exceptional young man who will do whatever it takes to move on."

His spells with the german junior national teams came to an end. In most of his 28 appereances in the german junior national teams he played alongside with guys like Daniel Kreutzer who shined at this years world championships. The U20 was his last station in the national team career, where he recorded two points in four games during a multi-nation-tournament. Hyun recorded four goals and eight assists for twelve points in his total 28 games for germany.

He had a good high school place in Minnesota, but he get the chance to move to an other high school team in summer of 1998. Northwood Prep, an excellent high school for hockey players, possibly the best. Over twenty draft picks are form Northwood, some names for example: goalie Mike Richter, defender Chris Therien, forwards Jean-Francois Houle, Jim Campbell or Craig Conroy. The last draft pick was center Sean Kotary (Colorado Avalanche, #266). BSM seems to be a good place for young prospects, but this seems to be the best place.

The Northwood School in Lake Placid, the hockey olympic arena 'Miracle on Ice' and last but not least a german teammate. 17 years old defender Matthias Frenzel joined Northwood, too. The son of former east german national player and current hockey coach of DEL-Team Hannover Scorpions, Dieter Frenzel, played for the Eisbären Berlin juniors in the season before and was also a member of the U18 nationalteam. Martin Hyun and 'Matte' Frenzel became roommates and big friends. They maked journeys together, for example the trips to New York, Boston and Montreal or viewing one of the last games from Wayne Gretzky. But Frenzel suffers an injury after six games for Northwood and forced out for the rest of the season. In fact of this Hyun was the only german who played for the Northwood School Huskies for the remainder of the season.

So, he learned many things there, his skating getting a little bit better - since that his commencement is really good. "The ice is smaller and the games are faster and tougher than in germany" he said. To getting faster was easy against the thing to play more physichal. He appeared in 45 games - his career high games in a season - and recorded 25 goals. Earning the title best goalgetter in his team, but didn't earn the topscorer-title. 49 points are to low to top the scoring table and also to low to getting drafted by an NHL-team. Scouts were often in Northwood, hopefully to find the next supertalent behind Richter, but Hyun's scoring touch wasn't good enough. Only the best players with a very high talent grade from Nothwood Prep were noticed by the Scouts and had a chance to be drafted.

So, where should he go to study? The universities with the top hockey teams had the opinion that Hyun wasn't good enough for their team and so he starts to study at Saint Michael's College in Vermont. His major subjects is international business combined political science. Good news for Hyun: Four other high school boys form Nothwood goes to St. Michael's, too. Back to his hockey skates, St. Michael's also had a men's hockey team, the Purple Knights. They play as an independent team in the ECAC northeast Division II. It's a hard question for every player with a high talent level, but not a super talent level: should I go to a good collegehockeyteam in the 'first leagues' WCHA, ECAC, HE or CCHA to play there in the third or fourth line. Or should i go to a Divison III hockeyteam, where i can play in the first line? It's the question ice-time against quality. Martin Hyun take the guarantee from St. Michael's that they'll give him enough playing time in his first year and so he chose the ice-time.

He spent his freshman season in changes between their first and second five on five line and also in their between their first and second power-play line. But, his speciality is still the penalty killing. Playing in 26 games he shots nine goals. One of them was a power play goal and he also recorded team high three short handed goals. Sophomore and some points more: In his second season he recorded ten goals and eleven assists to make 21 points in 24 games for a .875 points per game average. His penalty minutes were even low, just 28. He garnered not so many penalty minutes in his career, he prefer the fair way. His career high 51 PIM including a 5+20 major penalty, the only in his whole career.

Best thing in his college development? He gets better, phyiscal and mental. It's even hard for an european to develop, you must fight for your place everytime. But Hyun learned this, also to live independent, the thing that BSM coach Pauly critisized. The next two college years are more a training camp than a big fight for championships. Also, he will train work out with his personal strength and conditioning coach, russian Azar Sharipov, to become more stronger on the ice.

Martin Hyun will stay in St. Michael's, Colchester till May 2003. Then are his years of study are over. Until that time he hope to learn from year to year more and could be a good pro hockey player some day. He couldn't be the go-to guy or the league MVP in the next season, but developing to a core player is more than possible. His .875 points per game average can also be better, he's good enough for a minimum of one point per game. His team, the Purple Knights, leaved the independent level and will play in the ECAC East Division, a higher level in the 2001-2002 season. This will help Hyun's development, too.

Personal plans excists for his future after 2003. One option is that he stays in the united states for some years, with good contacts he can go into the minor league try-out camps. If the minor league teams don't want him for their team he'll come back to Germany. He train with his friends in Krefeld every summer and is still in contact with the officials from Krefeld's pro hockey team, which is now called Krefeld Pinguine, in america you say Krefeld Penguins. If he don't make the DEL-team he should be good enough to become are core player in the german minor league, the second Bundesliga. Thoughts from Hyun: "It's definitely a goal for me to play for the german national team to represent my country one day and I'm working hard for it." The future is open and anything can happen. The DEL-breakthrough, appereances in the north american minor leagues or the best thing for him, if he will be called up by the german national team.

Name: Martin Hyun

Jersey: #19

Left Wing, shots left

Height: 5'10''

Weight: 190 lbs.

Born: 5/4/1979 in Krefeld, Germany

© Oliver Janz