EThere is only one player in the entire German Ice Hockey League (DEL) who has scored or assisted at least one goal on every match day. The player does not come from Munich, Mannheim or Berlin – but plays for the Löwen Frankfurt.
The player’s name is not Carter Rowney or Dominik Bokk – but Brendan Ranford. All three players whirl in the first offensive row in Frankfurt. Ranford does it most consistently. He has already collected eleven scoring points in the first nine games.
Bokk the greatest talent
At first glance, Ranford takes a back seat. Because the playfully strongest in the trio is Rowney. It should be noted that he was still playing in the NHL last season. He anticipates spaces, plays clever, opening passes. Bokk, the league’s top scorer, runs at high speed across the ice and is very effective in front of the opponent’s goal.
The 22-year-old is indisputably the lions’ greatest talent. What role is left for Brendan Ranford? In an interview with the FAZ before the game this Sunday (4:30 p.m. on Magentasport) at the Iserlohn Roosters, he says: “I don’t have the greatest talent, but I’m trying to make up for it with my hard work.”
Ranford, Bokk and Rowney are communicative and exchange a lot about their interaction. It’s about developing the game together and not just about shining individually. Brendan Ranford is an unpleasant opponent. He’s always close to his opponents and has the quality to score or set up a lot of goals.
Statistically, one in five shots Ranford fires on goal is a hit. “I’m positive about him. He’s a whirlwind, scores goals, but can also outplay a player in a one-on-one game,” said Frankfurt sporting director Franz-David Fritzmeier about the striker.
Conscious decision
Ranford only moved to Germany in 2018. “After more than 330 games in North America, the time with the Eisbären Berlin was something new,” says Ranford. Most of his games in North America were in the second-rate American Hockey League (AHL). He was only allowed to play one game for the Dallas Stars in the elite NHL league.
Ice hockey can be played in many countries outside of North America, Ranford deliberately chose Germany and started a small European tour. He changed clubs every season, always looking for new sporting challenges: from Berlin he went to Mora IK in the second Swedish division, then to HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia.
From there he was drawn back to the DEL to the Bietigheim Steelers, to the tranquil district town of Bietigheim-Bissingen in Baden-Württemberg. For a season he scored his goals for the DEL promoted Bietigheim, now he is doing the same in Frankfurt.
The fact that he has been hired twice by a promoted team is no big deal for the Canadian: “I particularly like the team here in Frankfurt. In addition, there is a lot of growth potential for the future.”
Ranford really wanted to go to Frankfurt, Frankfurt absolutely needed the qualities of Brendan Ranford for the offensive. Sports director Fritzmeier has been watching the career of the now 30-year-old Ranford from afar for some time. “Unfortunately, he always missed the last step to becoming an NHL player,” says Fritzmeier. Nevertheless, in the four years since 2018, Ranford has already made a big name for itself in Europe.
