Topic: Christian Ehrhoff

Christian Ehrhoff (born July 6, 1982) is a German professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is known primarily as an offensive defenceman with strong skating and shooting abilities.

Before playing in the NHL, Ehrhoff spent several years playing professionally in Germany, starting with EV Duisburg of the third-tier Oberliga and the Krefeld Penguins of the premiere Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He spent three years with Krefeld, winning the German championship in 2003. Selected 106th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Ehrhoff moved to North America for the 2003–04 season. He spent one-and-a-half seasons with the Cleveland Barons, the Sharks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, before joining San Jose on a full-time basis for 2005–06. After being traded to the Canucks in August 2009, he won two consecutive Babe Pratt Trophies as the team's top defenceman. Internationally, Ehrhoff has played for the German national team in numerous tournaments, including three Winter Olympics, four World Championships and a World Cup.

Ehrhoff was born and raised in Moers, a city on the left bank of the Rhine. His father, Achim, is a drummer in a band. Ehrhoff first played hockey at the age of six, deciding to play the sport after watching an NHL game on television. As his hometown did not have a hockey program, he played minor hockey 20 kilometres away in the Krefeld Penguins' system. He won a national championship with the club around the age of 12; Ehrhoff has recalled scoring in the final on a penalty shot. Following the NHL growing up, Ehrhoff has singled out Wayne Gretzky, Pavel Bure and Uwe Krupp as his childhood heroes. He was inspired to play in the style of an offensive defenceman after watching a video of Bobby Orr as a 10-year-old.