Dominik Bittner from EHC Red Bull Munich with 500 DEL games

Monday, 06. November 2023 | Dominik Bittner from EHC Red Bull Munich with 500 DEL games

Bittner in the DEL 500 club: "Means a lot to me"Our number 3 was honored at the home game against DEG // NEWSBefore the 2:1 win against Düsseldorfer EG, one of our defensemen was in the spotlight on Sunday. Dominik Bittner celebrated his 500th DEL game and was honored for it. A milestone that means a lot to our number 3.

The 31-year-old's path to becoming a regular for the German champions and a regular member of the national team was not an easy one for Bittner. It took the defender quite a while to establish himself with the professionals in Mannheim at the start of his career. So it means all the more to the Bavarian-born player to have now reached this mark.

"500 games - that means a lot to me," Bittner reflected on the number after receiving his award. "My early days in Mannheim were particularly difficult, I spent a lot of time in the stands. I didn't really become a regular in the league until I was 25. This is a special milestone that not only feels satisfying, but is also a reward for a lot of hard work."

Bittner: „500 DEL-Spiele bedeuten mir sehr viel“

// INTERVIEW

Bittner celebrates anniversary with his family

Bittner has landed back in his homeland just in time to reach this milestone. Born in Weilheim, he famously moved from Wolfsburg to the Red Bulls back to Bavaria in the summer, where he can celebrate this success with his whole family.

"The fact that I've now reached my 500th game in Munich and also at a home game where my family could be there and we could celebrate the whole thing a bit is pretty cool," said the defender, who looks back on a few of his career highlights.

Highlights: Red Bull München vs. Düsseldorfer EG (05.11.2023)

// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS

The 31-year-old can only remember his first match to a limited extent. "It was a game against Ingolstadt. I don't remember the exact course of the game. But I do remember how web commentator Antti Soramies tried to ease my nerves back then and talked me into being positive. I remember exactly how I felt when I went onto the ice afterwards," explains Bittner with a smile on his face.

"My jubilation was perhaps a little exaggerated"

The next big highlight was not long in coming. In his debut season, "Bits" celebrated his first goal. "My first goal was against the Hamburg Freezers. I hit it over Niklas Treutle's shoulder from the right side on the left. Some people told me afterwards that my jubilation was perhaps a little exaggerated. But I'm not the only one who remembers the goal," says the defender with a laugh. Bittner has now played 500 games and scored 26 goals in the PENNY DEL. While many of our guys wish their teammate 500 more games, the jubilarian isn't worried about the numbers still to come.

500 DEL-Spiele - Glückwünsch, „Bits“! 💪🏼

// AKTUELLES

"I just want to enjoy the time and take every game in my stride," explains Bittner calmly, who would also pass on this advice to his younger self: "You have to work hard for everything. But just because you've worked for something once doesn't mean it will last. With all the ambition it takes on a daily basis, you can't be too dogged and lose the fun of it. Our sport remains a game and still has to be fun - this balance is extremely important."

Bittner: "Wants to win a championship with Munich"

Even if Bittner has not (yet) set his sights on 750 or 1000, there is still one big goal: "Of course I remember the 2015 championship with Mannheim well, but I didn't play much then.

The close runner-up finish with Wolfsburg is also still fresh in my mind. That's why I'm hugely motivated to win a championship with Munich." A goal for which we wish "Bits" every success!