Thomas Greiss resumes career with short-term contract in Germany
Thomas Greiss resumes career with short-term contract in GermanyGerman club Löwen Frankfurt currently finds itself in a goaltending bind. Just two games into the DEL season and its two top goalies – Jussi Olkinuora and Cody Brenner – are both injured. As a short-term solution, the club has signed 38-year-old Thomas Greiss – who hasn’t played since the end of the 2022-23 season with the St. Louis Blues – to play until both goalies return.
“We made contact with Thomas yesterday, Tuesday, and he immediately agreed to support us in this challenging situation,” said club sports director Daniel Henrizi. “He will be with us for the time when Cody and Jussi are not available, and will bring his many years of experience as a top-quality goaltender.”
“I would like to thank the Lions that everything worked out so quickly and I hope I can be of help to the team for a few games,” said Greiss. “I am looking forward to seeing some old friends again and to being able to experience the great atmosphere in German rinks again.”
Greiss has not played in the DEL since a nine-game stint with the Hanover Scorpions during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. Previously, he’d played for Kölner Haie between 2004 and 2006.
Chosen in the third round, 94th overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Greiss played almost continuously in North America between 2006 and 2023. During that time, he played 268 NHL regular-season games with the Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and St. Louis. He also played 17 playoff games – 16 of which were with the Islanders.
Internationally, Greiss represented Germany at several IIHF U18 and U20 events, at two top-level World Championships, and the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. He was also on Team Europe’s roster at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey but did not play.
Olkinuara sustained a lower-body injury during practise last week which required surgery and is expected to return in another three weeks. Brenner was injured in a collision and left halfway through Sunday’s game, but a timeline for his return was not given.
As for the short-term nature of Greiss’s contract, Henrizi explained, “In the current situation, this is the ideal solution for us, as he is not entitled to a contract until the end of the season. This was always an understandable request with the other personnel options that were available to us at short notice. We are pleased that Thomas is coming to us tomorrow and will be available for the games on the weekend.”
Frankfurt split its first two regular-season games at home last weekend. The team’s next game is this Friday on the road against ERC Ingolstadt.
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