Niklas Wellen
German field hockey player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niklas Wellen (born 14 December 1994)[2] is a German field hockey player who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Crefelder HTC. He played a total of 213 matches for the German national team from 2013 to 2024 in which he scored 114 goals.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
14 December 1994 Krefeld, Germany[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Crefelder HTC | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Crefelder HTC | ||
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2010–2020 | Crefelder HTC | ||
| 2020–2022 | Pinoké | ||
| 2022–present | Crefelder HTC | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
| 2013–2024 | Germany | 213 | (114) |
Medal record | |||
| Last updated on: 12 January 2024 | |||
Club career
Wellen played for the first team of Crefelder HTC since he was 16 years old.[4] In February 2020 he signed a two-year contract at Pinoké in the Netherlands from the 2020–21 season onwards.[4] During the 2021–22 indoor season he scored the winning goal in the championship final against HDM as Pinoké won its first national title. He was named the best player of the Dutch indoor season.[5] At the end of the outdoor season he returned to Crefelder HTC.[6]
International career
He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze medal. On 28 May 2021, he was named in the squads for the 2021 EuroHockey Championship and the 2020 Summer Olympics.[7] He scored four goals in the EuroHockey tournament as they won the silver medal after they lost the final to the Netherlands after a shoot-out.[8]
He was the Player of the Final Match, Best Forward Player, and the Player of the Tournament in the FIH Men's World Cup 2023 held in India.[9] After the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Germany won the silver medal, he announced his retirement from the national team.[10][11]
Personal life
Wellen's wife Kim is the sister of NHL player Leon Draisaitl. The couple have one son, Carlo born in 2023.[12]
