[devo22]

I'm really, really, really stoked for Wolf. It's unbelievable how his game has developed over the last few years and I'm sure that 5 years ago, absolutely nobody on this planet would have thought that this guy would ever get a chance in the NHL. When he started his DEL career in Hannover, his skating was ... well, I don't want to say "non-existent", but it's not far fetched. He stayed in the lineup because he was big and gritty, but nobody ever thought he'd have the hands and the speed to compete at a much higher level. That transfer to Hamburg really kickstarted his career and he's worked tremendously hard. Very happy for a guy to finally see it all come together.

I know I translated and shared this when the rumour spread last year that he was signing with the Flames, but hey, can't hurt to share it once more. German article about Wolf.

In Iserlohn, David Wolf did not find any new friends. For the fans of the Iserlohn Roosters, the left wing of the Hamburg Freezers was the enemy number one; nobody was booed and insulted as passionately as the 24-year-old. But Wolf is used to the feeling. These days he shows his typical smile when he thinks of the six games against Iserlohn - and the fact that he would not be provoked with only one exception. "If you look at the statistics, I did not do a lot wrong", says the former penalty king.

This is an understatement: Wolf, a tough fighter and fearless hustler in front of goal, was the outstanding player of the quarter-final series of the DEL; in the six games he scored four goals and five assists. As a result, the Freezers have reached the DEL semifinals for the second time in the club's history. For many, Hamburg is the number one contender for this year's title.

As a part of the famous first line with Jerome Flaake and Garrett Festerling, Wolf was already stellar in past seasons. But something was missing. "I was not a leader", says Wolf. That has changed this season. "David has matured and grown", said coach Benoit Laporte on his favorite roughneck. At one time, Wolf described his play as following: "Sometimes I have to specifically target a guy - skate to him, knock him down, done."

No wonder that the Islerlohn fans do not like him in particular. His colleague Flaake says: "David is one of those guys that you rather have on your own team." Meanwhile, Laporte has taught his "Bad Boy" how to play smartly. His number of penalty minutes has reached an acceptable level. In training, his teammates have accepted his big mouth and small provocations.

Wolf can convincingly explain where the aggression comes from. Child of divorce, troubled adolescence, a sick mother: little David often resorted to his fists to deal with his problems. "Brawls on the street were normal", he says. But Wolf, 6'3 and 218, is also a thinker. "I used to think about every missed opportunity after a game," he says. Working with a mental coach since 2012 has given him much more balance. "I have a thicker skin now", says Wolf. "Things do not drive me up the wall as quickly any more."

In addition, Wolf stands for the new Freezers identity. Three years ago, they shifted their focus to young German players - now Wolf, Flaake, Festerling, Oppenheimer, and the slightly older Schubert form the cornerstone of a team with title aspirations. You could often see the players bonding after training at their favourite restaurant "Venezia".

"Hockey is my life", says a tattoo on Wolf's left upper arm, and the language of this sentence could soon dictate his life. It is believed that there is an offer from the Calgary Flames of the NHL for the upcoming season. Wolf does not want to reveal too much, as he is still under contract with the Freezers until 2018. "Several NHL clubs have scouted me over the past two years," he says, "but there is nothing more to say." With his physicality and his courage, Wolf would probably be a great NHL player.