“Back in Kassel, when we won the final, the boys started screaming: ‘Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin’ and then I’m in Berlin at the end of the DEL season with not being relegated. My family was there. It was something very special,” commented René Schoofs on his last ice hockey game in an interview with SWR Sport.
He played over 1,000 games for the Steelers in the second division alone. No player has ever played more games in the German lower house. In his 21-year professional career, he has not played for any team other than the Steelers – and that in an industry in which many players have five, ten or even 15 clubs in their biographies. Schoofs won the second division championship five times and won the cup twice with the Steelers.
Schoofs ended his career by staying up in the DEL
In Berlin on April 3rd, the final siren sounds for the last time for the native of Esslingen. Bietigheim loses 1:5, but the team still celebrates relegation with the 250 or so guest fans who traveled with them. “I don’t think anyone would have seen us in tenth place until the penultimate day of the game. They probably thought that we’d be down from January,” says Schoofs, classifying the success. For René him, the outsider’s relegation is the culmination of a long career: “After sometimes losing in double figures, we didn’t stick our heads in the sand, but came out stronger every time. I really give the team credit for that .”
The 37-year-old proves to be a mainstay of the team in the top flight. Steelers coach Daniel Naud uses it for a good 14 minutes per game. He scores two goals and prepares seven more goals. The striker also works well on defense.
Will Kuqi or Kneisler the future record players of the Steelers?
René Schoofs affectionately call his fellow players “Mayor“. They call him that because he’s been there for so long, because he knows the city and almost everyone there knows him. He should pass his experience on to the new generation of Steelers players this season. Schoofs played alongside the 20-year-old Robert Kneisler and 21-year-old Fabjon Kuqi in a forward line. Both were trained in the Steelers youth team like René Schoofs once was. “I had my first season when they were both born,” says Schoofs with a smile. “Maybe one of replace both at some point as record players. Then we’ll do another interview here together in twenty years’ time,” predicts Schoofs.
Back problems complicate Schoof’s season
As early as February, Schoofs made the decision to end his career. During the season, the 37-year-old suffered from back problems. “At the end of February I thought the season could be over so slowly, because it was really bad,” Schoofs complains about the complaints. However, in the last few weeks of the season, the problems improved again and Schoofs was able to finish the season without any problems. In his 21-year career, he was rarely injured. “Maybe it was also a reason to stop because I’m fit and doing well. I didn’t want to provoke anything else,” Schoofs comments on his decision.
Schoofs is looking forward to a normal everyday life
Because ice hockey pros in Germany don’t have enough to do after their careers, Schoofs studied automotive engineering during his career and gained practical experience in his future field of work at the same time. He will start a full-time position in July. Most of all he longs for the free weekends. The family man now spends it with his wife Cora, his three-year-old daughter Vida and his six-year-old son Elia. “I’m just looking forward to being able to say we’re going to Obersdorf for four days to go sledding or whatever,” says Schoofs with satisfaction.
Schoofs will continue to follow his Steelers regularly from the stands. As a player, he was reluctant to do that. It was bad for him to have to watch and not be able to intervene as part of the team. “I hope that it will be more relaxed if I can observe the whole thing from afar,” says Schoofs. If he sees his heart club staying up in the league again at the end of next season, it shouldn’t keep him calm there either.
Source: SWR