{{short description|German ice hockey player and coach}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | alt = | image = 2024-09-08 Dresdner Eislöwen gegen Nürnberg Ice Tigers (Sachsenlotto-Cup 2024) by Sandro Halank–090.jpg | caption = Hecht in September 2024 | image_size = 230px | played_for = Adler Mannheim<br>St. Louis Blues<br>Edmonton Oilers<br>Buffalo Sabres | position = Left wing | shoots = Left | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 198 | ntl_team = GER | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|6|21}} | birth_place = Mannheim, West Germany | draft = 49th overall | draft_year = 1995 | draft_team = St. Louis Blues | career_start = 1994 | career_end = 2016 }} '''Jochen Thomas Hecht''' (German: /hɛçt/) (born 21 June 1977) is a German ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player. He has been serving as assistant coach for Adler Mannheim since March 2022.

Hecht played 833 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres and also began and finished his career with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

==Playing career== As a youth, Hecht played in the 1990 and 1991 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team from Baden-Württemberg.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-01-31|archive-date=6 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The St. Louis Blues selected Hecht in the second round, 49th overall, of the 1995 NHL entry draft from Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Hecht played two full seasons for the Blues, compiling 32 goals and 46 assists before being dealt, along with Marty Reasoner and Jan Horáček, to the Edmonton Oilers for Doug Weight and Michel Riesen on 1 July 2001.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

After appearing in a full season with the Oilers, Hecht was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the 31st and 36th picks in the 2002 NHL entry draft. As a Sabre, Hecht had his most successful NHL season, in terms of points scored, in 2006–07 with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists).{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

Hecht was chosen as the captain for the month of October 2007 and later during February 2008. He is the second German-born player to captain an NHL team – Walt Tkaczuk was the first. The ''C'' was rotated monthly during the 2007–08 season. On 16 October 2007, Hecht agreed to a four-year, $14.1 million contract extension, which kept him in Buffalo until the 2011–12 season. Hecht scored his 300th career point on 26 October 2007, when he scored against Florida Panthers' goaltender Tomáš Vokoun.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

Hecht returned to the city of Mannheim with the Sabres to play against Adler in an exhibition game on 4 October 2011. Hecht, who was recovering from an injury and did not play, received a standing ovation upon skating onto the ice in pre-game practice.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=126044 | title = Hecht receives standing ovation | website = National Hockey League | date = 2011-10-04 | access-date = 2011-10-04 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120403043651/http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=126044 | archive-date = 3 April 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

After being injured in January 2012 with a concussion, Hecht missed the remainder of the season and ended the year as a free agent. Several months into the 2012–13 NHL lockout, and after consulting with German doctors (who determined that some of his symptoms were neck-related), he rejoined Adler, joining Sabres linemate Jason Pominville, who joined Adler as a lockout player. After the lockout ended, he re-signed with the Sabres to a one-year, $1 million deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130111/SPORTS/130119724/1003|title=Hecht is set to be heading home|last=Vogl|first=John|date=11 January 2013|work=The Buffalo News|access-date=12 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122225938/http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20130111%2FSPORTS%2F130119724%2F1003|archive-date=22 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

On 26 April 2013, Hecht announced his retirement from the NHL to reporters in the locker room following the Sabres' final regular season game against the New York Islanders.<ref>Hoppe, Bill (27 April 2013). [http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/miller-buoys-sabres-past-isles-in-season-finale-hecht-retires-from-nhl/ Miller buoys Sabres past Isles in season finale, Hecht retires from NHL]. ''Olean Times Herald''. Retrieved 27 April 2013.</ref>

Following his retirement from the NHL, Hecht announced his intention to return to Mannheim to finish out his career. In 2015, he won his third German championship with the Adler squad. The first two titles came before his NHL career, in 1997 and 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.suedostschweiz.ch/sport/eishockey/2015-12-22/jochen-hecht-die-spielende-legende-der-adler|title = Jochen Hecht, die spielende Legende der Adler|website = www.suedostschweiz.ch| date=22 December 2015 |access-date = 2016-03-06}}</ref> Hecht played a total of three additional years in Germany before retiring from professional hockey in 2016.<ref>[http://adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=5026 Jochen Hecht ends his career] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817213225/http://adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=5026 |date=17 August 2016 }} (German)</ref>

==International play== Hecht appeared in four games with Team Germany at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He scored a goal and an assist as Germany finished eighth. He had been named to the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He was injured, however, in his last NHL game before the Olympic break and was unable to play. He played in four World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Team Germany between 1994 and 1997,<ref>[http://www.quanthockey.com/hockey-stats/en/profile.php?player=2364 Jochen Hecht national team stats at quanthockey.com]</ref> and shares the record for most games played in World Junior Ice Hockey Championships together with Switzerland's Björn Christen.<ref>[http://www.quanthockey.com/wjc-u20/fi/records/wjc-u20-players-all-time-games-played-leaders.html World Junior Ice Hockey Championship all-time games played leaders at quanthockey.com]</ref>

== Coaching career == Hecht was named player development coach for Adler Mannheim on August 2, 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=5030|title=ADLER Mannheim|website=adler-mannheim.de|access-date=2016-08-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803085345/http://adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d[nr]=5030|archive-date=3 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He served as assistant to Marco Sturm, head coach of the German men's national team, during the 2016 Deutschland-Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deb-online.de/2016/10/nationalmannschaft-zwei-debuetanten-beim-deutschland-cup/|title=Nationalmannschaft: Zwei Debütanten beim Deutschland Cup {{!}} Deutscher Eishockey-Bund e.V.|last=e.V.|first=Deutscher Eishockey-Bund|website=www.deb-online.de|date=19 October 2016 |access-date=2016-10-20}}</ref> In July 2017, Hecht was promoted to the assistant coach position at Adler Mannheim<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=5365|title=ADLER Mannheim|website=www.adler-mannheim.de|language=de|access-date=2017-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801194102/http://www.adler-mannheim.de/topstories.php?d%5Bnr%5D=5365|archive-date=1 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> and parted company with the club in May 2018 to take care of getting his coaching licenses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eishockeynews.de/aktuell/artikel/2018/05/04/co-trainer-jochen-hecht-verlaesst-die-adler-mannheim-vorerst.html|title=Co-Trainer Jochen Hecht verlässt die Adler Mannheim vorerst|website=www.eishockeynews.de|language=de|access-date=2018-05-04}}</ref> Hecht also worked for German TV as ice hockey pundit, on March 29, 2022, he returned to Adler Mannheim as assistant coach.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-28 |title=Eishockey - DEL: Adler Mannheim feuern Meistertrainer Gross - Stewart übernimmt - auch ranNHL-Experte dabei |url=https://www.ran.de/eishockey/news/nhl-adler-mannheim-trainer-gross-stewart-entlassung-hecht-goc-145707 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=www.ran.de |language=de}}</ref>

==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1993–94 | Mannheimer ERC | DEU U20 | 28 | 27 | 13 | 40 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1994–95 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 43 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 68 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 12 |- | 1995–96 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 44 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 68 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1996–97 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 46 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 38 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |- | 1997–98 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 45 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 42 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1998–99 | Worcester IceCats | AHL | 74 | 21 | 35 | 56 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |- | 1998–99 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1999–2000 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 63 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 28 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 |- | 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 72 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 48 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2001–02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2002–03 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 49 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003–04 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 64 | 15 | 37 | 52 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2004–05 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 48 | 16 | 34 | 50 | 151 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 14 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 64 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 34 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 |- | 2006–07 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 76 | 19 | 37 | 56 | 39 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 75 | 22 | 27 | 49 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2008–09 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 70 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 79 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2010–11 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 67 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2011–12 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 22 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2012–13 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 6 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 47 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2013–14 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 49 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 62 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2014–15 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 35 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 44 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 14 |- | 2015–16 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 40 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 108 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | DEL totals ! 356 ! 105 ! 161 ! 266 ! 589 ! 75 ! 25 ! 31 ! 56 ! 86 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 833 ! 186 ! 277 ! 463 ! 458 ! 59 ! 14 ! 18 ! 32 ! 24 |}

===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp; ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1994 | Germany | WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1994 | Germany | EJC | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 18 |- | 1995 | Germany | WJC | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 18 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1995 | Germany | EJC | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 |- | 1996 | Germany | WJC | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 18 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1996 | Germany | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |- | 1996 | Germany | WCH | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1997 | Germany | WJC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |- | 1997 | Germany | WC | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1998 | Germany | OG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |- | 1998 | Germany | WC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2002 | Germany | OG | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |- | 2004 | Germany | WC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004 | Germany | WCH | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |- | 2005 | Germany | WC | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009 | Germany | WC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |- | 2010 | Germany | OG | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | Junior totals ! 36 ! 15 ! 14 ! 29 ! 80 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | Senior totals ! 58 ! 15 ! 6 ! 21 ! 44 |}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * {{icehockeystats}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | title = Buffalo Sabres captain | before = Daniel Briere<br>Chris Drury | years = October 2007 | after = Toni Lydman}} {{succession box | title = Buffalo Sabres captain | before = Jaroslav Spacek | years = February 2008 | after = Jason Pominville}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hecht, Jochen}} Category:1977 births Category:Adler Mannheim players Category:Buffalo Sabres captains Category:Buffalo Sabres players Category:Edmonton Oilers players Category:German ice hockey coaches Category:German ice hockey left wingers Category:Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics Category:Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Living people Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Germany Category:Sportspeople from Mannheim Category:Ice hockey people from Karlsruhe (region) Category:St. Louis Blues draft picks Category:St. Louis Blues players Category:Worcester IceCats players