Hartmut Nickel

Hartmut Nickel played for SC Dynamo Berlin from 1963-74, after playing earlier with SG Dynamo Weißwasser. He won national titles with Dynamo Weißwasser in 1963-65 and with Dynamo Berlin from 1966-68. In 1966 Nickel won a bronze medal at the Europeans, which the team received only in 1999. In total he earned 124 international caps, and was inducted into the German Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 1968 the only Olympic match between the two Germanys took place at Grenoble. The match was won by West Germany 4-2 in the final round on 17 February, resulting in a seventh place finish for West Germany and eighth for East Germany. As a result, in 1970 the East German government decided not to give further state support to ice hockey.

After retiring from active competition Nickel started a coaching career in Berlin in 1974, and after reunification coached EHC Eisbären Berlin. From 1980-89 he was also an assistant coach for the East German national team. In 1993 he moved to EC Hannover for the three seasons, but came back to Berlin in 1996. Nickel earned 15 East German national titles as a player and coach and seven more German titles after reunification.