EXA Ice Fighters Leipzig defenseman Connor Hannon looks up at the ice while controlling the puck during a 2021 season match in Germany. Hannon recently signed a contract with Rostock for next season. (Photo courtesy of Eishockey Magazine)
HOUGHTON — When last offseason began, Houghton native Connor Hannon wasn’t sure where he would play for the 2023-24 season. Would he stay with EXA Ice Fighters Leipzig or sign a new contract with another team? He ultimately decided to return to Leipzig, but the season didn’t go the way he had hoped.
Now he has his sights set on another team in the same league, Rostock Piranhas, who should also be a good fit for him.
“Obviously, I had a good base there, a lot of friends and mates,” Hannon said of Leipzig. “I was just waiting to see what they were going to do with the contracts. There was a lot of turnover there, guys were on one-year contracts, maybe a few on two-year contracts. So I was just waiting to see what the mates were going to do, what the team was going to be like. In the end, most of the players stayed. I wanted to play somewhere familiar, that was the reason I came back there. I love it there.”
Even though Hannon’s season didn’t go as well as he had hoped for personally, running one last time with the friends he’s made over the past three years was a very worthwhile experience.
“They treated me like family,” he said. “I decided to come back and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to play another year with my guys.”
One of the things that drew Hannon back to the team, besides playing with his friends, was the fact that Leipzig were willing to keep him as an import, as most teams in the Oberliga (Germany’s third division of professional hockey) typically use their import slots for forwards.
“Not many teams have an import defenseman, so it’s nice that they’re willing to have one or want to keep the position open,” he said. “It also meant a lot that they wanted me to come back. There are only so many jobs for an import defenseman, especially an import defenseman, so sometimes you have to take what you get and make do. Thankfully, I had a great year and I was able to come back to Leipzig.”
Hannon had three seasons of 37 or more points as a defenseman, but things didn’t work out in his fourth season, as he played in just 20 games and scored just three goals and 12 points.
The reason he’s struggling is due to an injury he suffered during the preseason.
“I played five preseason games. I played eight, which is too many, but that’s another story,” he said. “I got hurt in the sixth preseason game and ended up missing nearly three months, over 13 weeks.
“It’s part of the game. It’s the worst part. It’s tough being in Germany, away from family and friends. Luckily I had the international break so I had about nine days to go home and reset, see the doctors here and things like that.”
Injuries are part of the game, but long-term injuries can ruin your season, especially if they occur early in the season.
“My shoulder injury was tough, especially playing the kind of hockey I play, it was tough physically and all that,” Hannon said. “It’s always tough when you get injured, but I was able to come back and get healthy and finish the season on a positive note.”
The last time Hannon sustained an injury this serious was while playing at Finlandia University, but that was during a playoff game and meant he had to recover over the summer instead of the first half of the season.
He said it was tough to cope with missing such a long period of time, especially at first, but he’s thankful he had a strong support system.
“I was fortunate to have some great friends over there and people I could rely on,” Hannon said. “The coach I had over there last year was great. He was understanding, he was great at playing the games and he helped me mentally.”
“The hardest part is the mental side, which nobody talks about. It should be talked about more. I was at the rink every day, but I couldn’t get on the ice. I just had to stick to my routine and try to stay mentally strong. It’s something that’s not talked about much.”
Hannon said it took him about four games to get back to his normal form in match situations.
“I think the first three games were pretty tough in terms of making the kind of decisions you’d make in a preseason game or something like that,” he said. “Once you get to the middle of the season, it’s tough because everybody’s in top condition. After about three games, I started to feel more comfortable with the puck, making the right decisions and not pushing myself too hard.”
As Hannon prepares for this season in Rostock, he is encouraged by his good physical condition and the fact that several of his former Leipzig teammates will be joining him and that he will be playing under coach Leonard Soccio, a St. Catharines, Ontario native who played against Hannon’s father during his playing days.
“For me, it’s huge because I know a couple of guys that have played there and they’re actually coming over from Leipzig with me so having that support group and knowing people is huge,” Hannon said. “Honestly, it’s really important to have a North American coach that understands me and especially how I play as an offensive defenseman. Instead of playing 18 minutes, hopefully I’ll be counted on to play like 25 minutes and (the coach) will use me like a horse. That’s what’s really appealing and I want to be on the ice and be as helpful as possible.”
Rostock has played similarly to Leipzig over the past few years, so that’s a nice added bonus for Hannon.
“It’s a great organisation,” he said. “In recent years they have had a good team, similar to Leipzig, and have always been a mid-table contender.”
Hannon is also excited about the fan base and how they support the Piranhas.
“I’ve played there 14 times already, so I kind of know what to expect,” he said. “They have a great fan base. The rink is very good, the locker rooms are nice, so that’s another attraction. The fans are very supportive. (It’s) a double-sided rink in terms of the stands, so there’s a lot of people in a small area, (it’s) noisy. You know what the European fans are like, it’s a pretty good, pretty attractive atmosphere.”
Just before returning to Germany, Hannon finished working with Raymond Brice, Markus Gross and the rest of the BR.ICE Hockey Development staff. For Hannon, having the opportunity to give back to the community was very important.
“It’s nice to be able to establish something that can serve the community and keep that train running,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll just continue to grow with it and see where it goes from there.”
Hannon feels he learned just as much from the young players he coached throughout the summer as they learned from him.
“The next generation of hockey players is incredible compared to when I was growing up,” he said. “They start playing at a very young age and become very good very quickly. It’s just so cool just to learn from them. I learn a lot as a coach. I get to see some of the things they were doing when they were younger.”
“You don’t really think about it when you’re playing, but you can learn as much from your opponent as they can from you.”
As for goals this season, Hannon is hoping to stay healthy and regain the strength that makes his game so special.
“I think the big thing for me is to be able to play a full season again and be healthy,” he said. “Obviously, last year didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but that’s part of the game. (I’m) just trying to be a good teammate, a leader in the locker room and as a player try to lead the team to a top-six spot and get directly into the playoffs. (I) want to be able to make the playoffs. (I) want to be a leader on and off the ice, help the younger guys and push the team in any way I can.”
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