April 22, 2022
by John Sparenberg
Hershey Bears forward/defenseman Eddie Wittchow has had to scratch and claw for each and every bit of playing time during his professional career, but with dogged determination and an unmatched compete level, the 29-year-old Burnsville, Minnesota native has proven to be a valuable commodity to the organization, regardless of the position he plays.
Drafted as a defenseman by the Florida Panthers in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL draft as a defenseman, Wittchow politely turned down a scholarship offer from the University of Wisconsin after his selection and went on the play for the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks. He earned all-rookie team honors for his efforts.
After the season in Waterloo, Wittchow reconsidered the Wisconsin offer and went on to play four seasons with the Badgers, including his senior season when he proudly wore the "Captain's C.”
"It was an awesome time,” Wittchow said, describing his time in Madison skating under former Bears coach Mike Eaves' tutelage. “He taught me everything, including a ton about hockey."
"He's so passionate and expects a lot of you. I learned at a young age and young in my career how to be a professional, which I owe a lot of to him because as soon as I turned pro, I felt prepared. He was always detailed in every aspect of the game on and off the ice. I wouldn't trade those four years for anything."
Following his graduation from Wisconsin where he earned a degree in economics, it was finally time for Wittchow to graduate to the pro ranks, as he started playing for pay with the Springfield Thunderbirds. After two seasons in the Panthers' system in Springfield, Wittchow and his representative made a career decision that saw him depart North America for an opportunity in Finland, just as Eaves did shortly after leaving Hershey.
"I went to Finland after my second year in Springfield, I was playing a little bit of forward, and I just thought that I needed a reset to go to a league where I could play my position. My agent and I looked for a League that we thought we could come back from and played similar to North American hockey. That ended up being the Finnish League. I just thought that was the right move for me at that time. I loved it over there, and I would definitely go back later in my career if the opportunity came. But I wanted to come back here and make sure that I gave it my all in North America before I decided to go back. So that's kind of what led to me going over there, and it's kind of ironic now that I'm playing forward again, but at a little different point in my career."
Coming back across the pond and back to smaller North American ice, Wittchow hooked up with the Bears where he has been ever since.
"It's kind of tough coming back, especially at my age. I think I came back at 26. I'm not going to sit here and say there's a ton of options. I loved playing here when I was with Springfield. The crowds are second to none in this League,” said Wittchow, who has donned a Bears sweater in more games in this current season than he did in his first two seasons combined in Chocolatetown.
Wittchow, who scored his first goal of the season in the Bears' historic 3,000th franchise victory, continued. "So as soon as the opportunity arose, I jumped at it knowing that they're going to have great players here and there's going to be a lot of people who I'm going to have to work my way through in order to earn ice time. But I was fine with that, especially for an organization like this."
Whether it be on the backline battling in front of the net or cruising up and down the wing as forward where he can fully utilize his speed and cast his imposing 6'4” 225-pound shadow, it matters not to Wittchow, as long as he's in the lineup.
"It was an organizational decision to switch positions, but I was totally fine with it. I want to do whatever the team needs for me to. We're all competitors, and we want to play as much as we can. So whatever keeps you in the line up, that's what I'm willing to do. And this year it's been mostly forward and that's just fine. I still think I have a lot to offer as a defenseman or a forward, which is, I think, pretty admirable and pretty cool. I'm confident in my ability to do both. I think the organization's thinking was like, hey, we like this guy's defense, but a way to keep him in the line up more often would be as a forward."
When his playing days are finally over, Wittchow is still a little unsure of his plans, but he has his eye on the equity market, and if the mettle and versatility that have been on full display throughout his playing career are any indication, any company that invests in his services will benefit from his talents, just as the Bears have.
