Martin Hyun

Martin Hyun (born May 4, 1979, in Krefeld, Germany) is an author and former ice hockey player in Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Hockey career
The son of Korean immigrants in Germany, he began playing ice hockey at the age of 5, progressing his way through local youth leagues and into the Krefeld Pinguine's youth development system. He became a regular player for the German Junior National Team. In 1997 he was called up by Coach Miroslav Berek and Manager Rüdiger Noack to begin the season with the Elite league team at the age of 17, where he scored two goals in five preseason games playing alongside former NHLer Peter Ihnacak. Hyun played most of the season with the second-league playing development team. In 1998 Hyun decided to go to the United States to further his education and pursue his hockey career at the same time. He first studied at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School, a Catholic school in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, later transferring to Northwood Prep School in Lake Placid, New York.

Soon after arriving in the United States, Hyun became a fan of National Hockey League player Paul Kariya who is of partial Japanese ancestry. After failing to be picked in the NHL Draft during the World U-17 Championships in Moncton, Canada in 1997, Hyun put aside his pursuit of a professional NHL hockey career, and enrolled in Colchester, Vermont's Saint Michael's College, where he played NCAA Division II hockey. In 2002 Hyun won the ECAC Division II Northeast Championship with the Purple Knights. Upon graduation in 2003, he entered a masters' program at the University of Kent's Brussels campus; while a student, he also played for a Belgian Hockey League team in Leuven. He returned to Germany in 2004 to sign with the Krefeld Pinguine. With his signing Hyun became the first Asian to ever make it to the highest professional league in Germany. He made his league debut on September 17, 2004 against the Cologne Sharks. Hyun chose to wear Number 71 to honour the accomplishments of Korean guestworkers in Germany. In April 2005 Hyun was invited by German President Horst Köhler to attend the state banquet in honour of the state visit of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Hyun is only the third player of Korean heritage to play in the highest league, the earlier two being Jim Paek and Richard Park of the USA.

He retired after only one season to go into politics.

Awards

 * 1997 World U-17 Hockey Championships, Moncton, Canada
 * 2002 ECAC Division II Northeast Champion, USA