Hartmut Nickel (16 November 1944 27 June 2019) was a German
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player, who competed for
SC Dynamo Berlin
The Sports Club Dynamo Berlin was an East German sports club that existed from 1954 to 1991. It was the largest sports club of SV Dynamo, the sports association of the security agencies. The club was disbanded after German reunification and even ...
between 1963 and 1974. He played for the
East Germany national ice hockey team
The East Germany, East German national men's ice hockey team was a national ice hockey representing the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The first international game was played in East Berlin on 28 January 1951, losing 3–8 to Poland men's na ...
at the
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...
in
Grenoble.
Nickel was popularly called "Father Polarbear" (german: Papa Eisbär) at
Eisbären Berlin. After the passing of Nickel in 2019, the northern curved end of the
Mercedes-Benz Arena, with
terracing for active supporters of Eisbären Berlin, was officially named "Hartmut Nickel curve" (german: Hartmut Nickel Kurve), at the request of club supporters.
References
1944 births
2019 deaths
German ice hockey forwards
Ice hockey players at the 1968 Winter Olympics
Olympic ice hockey players for East Germany
People from Weißwasser
SC Dynamo Berlin (ice hockey) players
Ice hockey people from Saxony
People from Bezirk Dresden
Lausitzer Füchse players
East German sports coaches
National ice hockey team coaches
German ice hockey coaches
{{Germany-icehockey-bio-stub