EHC Red Bull München: Taro Hirose in portrait

Monday, 21. October 2024 | EHC Red Bull München: Taro Hirose in portrait

“The firstborn”, who plays ice hockey with his head: that's Taro HirosePlaymaker accomplishes rare feat// PORTRAITTen games, nine points: The signing of Taro Hirose shortly before the start of the season proved to be a real stroke of luck for EHC Red Bull München. The forward has so far continued in Europe where he left off in North America.

Taro Hirose needed just 126 seconds for his first point in the Red Bulls' jersey. Just six days after his arrival, the 28-year-old helped Markus Eisenschmid to give the Iserlohn Roosters an early lead on the first day of the DEL season. He recorded another assist in the final period, and five minutes before the end, our number 17 scored his first goal to give his side a 6-5 lead. In the end, our guys scored one more. A great start to the new phase of his life!

And it started with a lot of sleep and jet lag. “But slowly I'm finding my routine. Just finding the best way to get to the SAP Garden helps. I've now settled in and feel better every day,” the attacker says, looking back on his first few weeks in Munich.

Adam Brooks part of the Hirose transition

His new teammates helped him with that. Veterans like captain Patrick Hager and Jonathon Blum, as well as another newcomer in Adam Brooks. “I've known Brooksy for a while. We have a few mutual friends and we talked a lot before I came over,” Hirose reports. And he obviously didn't promise too much, because the feel-good factor in Munich is already high.

“The SAP Garden is incredible and my teammates are great. And the city has been very cool so far; I've been able to explore the city center a few times already. I've been shopping, walking around, and visiting attractions,” he says.

Hirose will soon be able to explore his new home country with his loved ones. “My family will probably make the trip at the end of November and stay for one to two weeks.” And the first thing on the Hirose's list is already clear: “I've heard that I absolutely must visit the Christmas markets. I'm looking forward to my family experiencing this with me.”

“I'm getting better and better at the system”

But there's still a lot of hockey to be played before then. And in the first few games of the season, the former NHL pro has already shown what he can do. Hirose is a playmaker with a very high hockey IQ. “I play the game in my head and like to think my way through the game. I can be creative with the puck offensively and set up my teammates, but I also want to take care of the defensive end of the ice,” he says, describing his playing style.

He is also increasingly internalizing the tactical instructions under coach Max Kaltenhauser. “I'm getting used to the system better with every game. I definitely also had to get used to the ice here, which is much bigger compared to North America. But the learning curve is pointing upwards,” he says.

From college directly to the NHL

Hirose has also risen rapidly in North America in recent years. During the 2018-19 season, he achieved the rare feat of jumping directly from college to the NHL. On March 19, 2019, the offensive player made his debut for the Detroit Red Wings in the world's top league, In the world-famous Madison Square Garden, of all places, against the New York Rangers. And in the NHL, too, Hirose managed his first scorer point in the very first period.

He also scored in the following four duels, and on March 31, he immortalized himself in the history books of the scorers list in the game against the Boston Bruins. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Canadian was never drafted “Making it to the NHL and the AHL despite this is special. Looking back, it's a great achievement that I can be proud of,” he says. He played a total of 60 games for Detroit (4 goals | 16 assists), while his impressive tally of 203 points (50 goals | 153 assists) comes from 256 games for their farm team in Grand Rapids.

Highlights: EHC Red Bull München vs. Nürnberg Ice Tigers (20.10.2024)

“The firstborn” takes off

So it paid off that Hirose started skating at a very young age. The son of a Japanese father, Taro means “the firstborn”, outlines: “I was born in Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba. When I was two or three years old, my parents moved to Calgary. That's where I started my hockey journey.” As a junior, he played in British Columbia, and from there his college route took him to Michigan State.

Hirose put in some outstanding performances and scored points non-stop, so the Red Wings signed him. “As a junior, the NHL wasn't really my goal. It wasn't until after college that I felt I could make it.” However, after the end of the last season, it became clear that his path was probably not going to lead to Detroit.

“I'm very happy with my decision”

Fortunately, the offer from Munich was on the table. “Europe wasn't the most obvious decision. But I've always said that I'd like to play here someday. I wanted to have this experience and get to know other cultures,” Hirose reveals. “Now it felt like the right time. Besides, you don't get this chance every day. I'm very happy with my decision.” And we are too, dear Taro!

Fan of Steph Curry and the Detroit Lions

In his private life, the golf lover likes to take it easy. His playlist includes country, house by Avicii and rap by Drake, and he also enjoys Netflix and video games in his free time. And Hirose loves basketball and American football. The Detroit Lions are his favorite team in the NFL – as a passionate fantasy football manager, he has already celebrated some successes. He would like to meet basketball superstar Steph Curry. “I just want to make the most of every day. I take it one day at a time and have fun along the way.” So far, his performances on the ice have been great fun for all Munich fans!