Better Opportunities

I've never played professional hockey, but it would seem that with more and more leagues investing in players, facilities, and growth that there are going to be better opportunities for players who are seeing the prime of their careers dwindle away in the minor leagues. Make no mistake that players who skate in the AHL still make pretty good money to play hockey, but playing minor-pro hockey means that other priorities may influence where a player plays. For Winnipeg Jets/Manitoba Moose forward CJ Suess, that opportunity came up this summer as he'll leave Winnipeg for a second time to join the Penny DEL's recently-promoted Dresden Eislöwen for the 2025-26 season.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft following two solid seasons with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede, the 31 year-old Suess played four seasons with the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks where he continued to show his improving scoring talents. Following a 28-point rookie season, Suess managed to hit double-digits in goals in each of his next three seasons while never scoring less than 25 points. His senior season saw him notch 22 goals and 43 points in 40 games. It seemed he'd be a good addition to the Moose.

His first few seasons with the Moose were derailed by various injuries as he never came close to playing a full season, but he did manage to his double-digit goal totals in two of the four seasons he wore Moose colours. He also managed to skate in four games with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, but scored no points in that cup of coffee with the big club. Regardless, he was viewed as a good foot soldier who went to the dirty areas on the ice and battled for pucks on every shift.

After a short stint in the San Jose Sharks' organization where he played one more NHL game with the Sharks and 46 with the Barracuda, Suess returned to Winnipeg where he signed a two-year deal and skated with the Moose as a veteran player. 21 goals and 43 points over those two seasons showed that he was still an effective player, but the opportunity to be an NHL player seemed to be gone.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons for the change as it looks like Suess will get more of an offensive opportunity with the Eislöwen than perhaps what he saw at the AHL level in Winnipeg.

"CJ is a fast player with a good transition game, wit, and a drive to score," Eislöwen sporting director Matthias Roos said. "Throughout his career, he has repeatedly earned the opportunity to show off in the NHL—most recently at an age when others have actually passed that step. This mentality, coupled with his quality, will take us further on and off the ice. From the NCAA, he is familiar with the large ice surface, which will suit his game and productivity."

There were no financial terms disclosed by the Eislöwen about Suess's contract, but one has to figure that he'd receive a lot of the perks that we see for players who play in Germany - rent is covered and free transportation at the very least. Suess will also get a chance to see most of Germany as the Eislöwen travel the country to play games, but the opportunity to potentially travel to other places in Europe also exists. Frankly, the perks alone may make the DEL better than the AHL when it comes to older players weighing options!

"I'm very excited about my new role in Germany and with the Dresden Eislöwen," Suess said following today's announcement. "My discussions with the organization immediately gave me a good feeling. I want to use my experience, my pace, and all my energy to help us succeed as a team and make the fans proud."

With Paul Stocker, Karl Gärtner, and Malte Barthold signing development contracts this season, they may start the season with the KSW IceFighters Leipzig in the German Oberliga. Needing some additional firepower, Suess will fill that role nicely for the Dresden Eislöwen while bringing a bit of a power forward game to the team. As he said, Suess's experience could prove valuable for the Eislöwen as well, so this seems to be a good fit for former Moose forward!

While the German name "Suess" often is spelled "süß" and pronounced "Soose" like "loose", the meaning is one of "sweet," "pleasant," or "agreeable". While the contract might be agreeable, the experience in Germany might be pleasant, and the opportunity might be, colloquially, sweet, I'd expect CJ Suess to show everyone that he's none of those things to the opposition when the DEL season opens!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!