Haakon Hanelt: 2023 Annual Review And Forecast

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Jon Sorensen


We continue our Washington Capitals annual prospect review and forecast series with Haakon Hanelt, left-wing for the Gatineau Olympiques in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) . (You can access all of our Capitals Prospect Reports and player analysis on our “Prospects” page in the top menu or right here.)

VITALS

Hanelt, a 5’-11”, left-handed forward from Berlin, Germany, was selected by the Capitals in the fifth round (#151 overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Hanelt, who turns 20 on June 1, remains unsigned by the Capitals.

CAREER SUMMARY

Hanelt spent the 2020-21 season playing for the Berlin Polar Bears in the Deutsche Eishockey League (DEL). He was scheduled to participate in the 2021 World Junior Championship, but he and a good percentage of the German team contracted the COVID-19 virus two weeks before leaving for Alberta.

“All the players who were in Berlin got the virus. We were unable to travel to Canada. When the team arrived, there was still an outbreak…I was hoping I could get my place this year, but it looks like I’m not destined to play for my national team.” That was just the start of bad luck for Hanelt.

Hanelt was slated to participate in the 2021 World U-18 Championship in Texas, but was unable to participate. He would miss the tournament due to a shoulder injury he suffered that was similar in nature to the one that landed him on the operating table in November, 2021.

Hanelt made the move from the German league to North America to start the 2021-22 season.

“The main reason for coming to Canada is to learn to play on the smaller rinks. My goal is to play in the NHL. I will have a better chance of getting there by continuing my development by playing Canadian junior hockey,” said Hanelt.

“There were a few clubs that had shown an interest in attracting me to the country, but I felt Gatineau was probably the best place for me. I’m happy to be here and I hope we can win a championship.” Hanelt also speaks French, after having studied the language at school for six years.

Hanelt attended Capitals’ prospect camp at the end of September and participated in the Capitals main training camp before returning to the Gatineau Olympique in the QMJHL on September 28.

The 2021-22 season started well for the German winger, but a severe shoulder injury and subsequent surgery in November ended the regular season for Hanelt.

Hänelt played just seven games for the Olympiques before being sidelined with the shoulder injury. He recorded five points, but none in his last three games when he was dealing with the injury. Hanelt had time to come to terms with the idea that an operation was inevitable and his dream of competing in the 2022 World Junior Championship was once again not to be.

“I played despite the pain in my last three games. After missing the last U20 World Championship and the U18 World Championship, I had hoped I could play despite the injury, but I had to resign myself to correcting the problem now,” said Hanelt.

“When I found out I had a third missed date (tournament) in a row, it hit me hard. It took a few weeks to recover. I wanted to show what I could do on the biggest stage in junior hockey and redeem my missed experience last year. I can’t change anything now. I have one last hope for next year,” Hanelt told LeDroit.

Hanelt returned to play the final nine games of the regular season, recording a goal and four assists, as he worked his way back into shape for the postseason. He recorded two goals in six games in the playoffs.

Hanelt participated in Capitals rookie camp and main training camp in September. He played in the Capitals first preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres on September 25 before being returned to Gatineau (QMJHL) on September 26.

Hanelt did get to participate in the rescheduled 2022 World Junior Championship in August of 2022. He saw action in all five games played by Team Germany, recording a goal and an assist. His fortunes seemed to be changing.

Related: Haakon Hanelt: 2022 World Junior Championship Tournament Notebook

Unfortunately the 2022-23 season was very similar to the previous season. The season started fairly well for Hanelt until he sustained a foot injury in preparations for the 2023 World Junior Championship. The injury would have him miss the annual tournament (again) and have him miss a majority of the remainder of the regular season. He finally returned to get a few games in before the postseason, but never could find his previous form.

2022-2023 MONTH-BY-MONTH RECAP AND TREND ANALYSIS

The following is a compilation of our month-by-month prospect reports for Haakon Hanelt during the 2022-2023 season. Also included are his monthly scores (0-5, with 2.5 being average). You can find all of our monthly prospect reports on our “Prospects” page in the top menu.

OCTOBER

Hanelt participated in Capitals rookie camp and main training camp in September. He played in the Capitals first preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres on September 25 before being returned to Gatineau (QMJHL) on September 26.

Hanelt made his QMJHL debut on October 1, centering the top line for the Olympiques. He was dropped to center the second line the following game and remained there for most of the month.

Hanelt’s 2022-23 campaign got off to a very slow start, with no goals through the first 12 games, but he finally dented the twine on October 29 against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Hanelt saw steady time on the Olympiques first penalty kill unit and looked solid, which is something that will help him elevate his overall game. He was limited to the second power play unit to start the season.

In some ways, this season could be considered Hanelt’s real rookie season, as he sat out a majority of last season with the shoulder injury, but he produced at a better rate last season when he did play then compared to this season.

Monthly Score: 1.5

NOVEMBER

Hanelt scored his second goal of the season on November 17 in Gatineau’s 4-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders. He also had two primary assists in the game and was named the player of the game for Gatineau.

Hanelt missed two games towards the end of the month for injury, and will be out indefinitely.

“It’s not a certainty, but it’s possible that Marcel Marcel, Haakon Hänelt, Isaac Belliveau and Tye Austin will play at some point during the weekend,” Robitaille explained on Wednesday when he gave his players a day off in anticipation of his club’s busy schedule.

For the season, Hanelt has two goals and 11 assists in 23 games played.

Having watched several games of his in November, he is involved in the play, but not finishing. They have moved him up and down the lineup in hopes of generating a spark, but so far, it hasn’t helped his goal scoring, at least to a point he began last season.

He was averaging three shots per game in the later half of the month, which is an improvement, but he still having troubles finding the back of the net.

Monthly Score: 2.0

DECEMBER

Hanelt’s goal-scoring continued to lack at the beginning of the month, but his play-making is beginning to standout as his best asset at this stage in his development.

Another example can be seen in this nice pass off the boards leading his teammate into the zone for the score.

Remember, this is essentially Hanelt’s rookie campaign in “the Q”, having missed most of last season following shoulder surgery. In the few games he played at the beginning of last season, Hanelt easily found the back of the net, but those games may be misleading.

Hanelt left for Germany to begin preparations for the 2023 World Junior Championship following the Olympiques game on December 11.

Hanelt was one of 26 candidates to make Team Germany’s final 23-man roster, made the trip to Canada, but did not make the final round of roster cuts due to a foot injury he sustained during the run-up to the tournament. Team Germany released their final roster on December 24, sans Hanelt:

Hänelt left the German team on December 23. Five days later, he was back in Gatineau to consult the Olympic doctors and they are waiting for a final diagnosis. Initial reports say it could be a fractured foot.

“We expect an absence of a few weeks,” says Louis Robitaille. Eight weeks? Six weeks? Four. We’ll let the doctors tell us. We are talking about a medium-long-term absence. It’s just another tile that falls on his head.”

For the season, Hanelt has three goals and 14 assists in 28 games played in the QMJHL this season.

Monthly Score: 2.0

JANUARY

Hanelt missed all of January due to a foot injury. He left for Germany to begin preparations for the 2023 World Junior Championship following the Olympiques game on December 11.

Hanelt was one of 26 candidates to make Team Germany’s final 23-man roster, made the trip to Canada, but did not make the final round of roster cuts due to a foot injury he sustained during the run-up to the tournament. Team Germany released their final roster on December 24, sans Hanelt:

Hänelt left the German team on December 23. Five days later, he was back in Gatineau to consult with the Gatineau doctors. Initial reports said it could be a fractured foot.

“We expect an absence of a few weeks,” says Louis Robitaille. Eight weeks? Six weeks? Four. We’ll let the doctors tell us. We are talking about a medium-long-term absence. It’s just another tile that falls on his head.”

For the season, Hanelt has three goals and 14 assists in 28 games played in the QMJHL.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

FEBRUARY

Hanelt missed all of January and February due to injury. He left for Germany to begin preparations for the 2023 World Junior Championship following the Olympiques game on December 11.

Hanelt was one of 26 candidates to make Team Germany’s final 23-man roster, made the trip to Canada, but did not make the final round of roster cuts due to a foot injury he sustained during the run-up to the tournament. Team Germany released their final roster on December 24, sans Hanelt:

Hänelt left the German team on December 23. Five days later, he was back in Gatineau to consult with the Gatineau doctors. Initial reports said it could be a fractured foot.

“We expect an absence of a few weeks,” says Louis Robitaille. Eight weeks? Six weeks? Four. We’ll let the doctors tell us. We are talking about a medium-long-term absence. It’s just another tile that falls on his head.”

For the season, Hanelt has three goals and 14 assists in 28 games played in the QMJHL.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

MARCH

Hanelt missed all of January and February due to foot injury suffered in the run-up to World Juniors. Hanelt returned to practicing with the team the first week of March and to game action on March 15.

For the season, Hanelt had three goals and 14 assists in just 34 games played in the QMJHL.

Hanelt and the Gatineau Olypiques opened their first round of the QMJHL postseason against the Saint Johns Sea Dogs on March 31. Hanelt had a primary assist in the first game.

He will be fighting for a starting spot, as the Olympiques are currently playing great hockey, the roster is deep and Hanelt is still getting up to speed following his return from injury.

Monthly Score: 2.5

APRIL

Hanelt returned from his foot injury at the end of March, but never really found his groove in the remaining regular season games as well as the postseason. He had six regular season games to get prepared for the playoffs but scored no goals and recorded just one assist. For the regular season Hanelt managed just three goals and 15 assists in 34 games played.

The postseason wasn’t much better. Hanelt struggled for a starting role on a Gatineau team that was fairly strong, but managed to play in every postseason game on the fourth line or as an extra forward. He recorded no goals and three assists in 13 games.

Monthly Score: 2.5

MONTHLY SCORE SUMMARY

PLAYER FORECAST

As previously mentioned, in some ways, the 2022-23 season could be considered Hanelt’s real rookie season, as he sat out a majority of last season with the shoulder injury, but he produced at a better rate last season when he did play then compared to this season. Unfortunately an injury shut him down for half the season.

First and foremost, Hanelt desperately needs a full, healthy season. He’s demonstrated he has an excellent shot and above average play-making abilities when he can play, but those times are becoming fewer and far between, as injuries and bad luck have peppered his entire career.

Hanelt is still early in his development track, but the 2023-24 season could very well define his ultimate ceiling. Hershey is a long ways off but that would be the goal for the end of next season, assuming he can stay healthy.

By Jon Sorensen

Related Reading
Eisbaeren Germany News: Story on Haakon Haenelt Prior to 2021 Draft
Eisbaeren Germany News: Haakon Haenelt Drafted By Washington
NHL.Com/Calgary Flames: Potential Late Round Gems — Forwards
Capitals Prospect Haakon Hanelt Commits To Playing In QMJHL This Season
The Capitals Select Forward Haakon Hanelt In the 5th Round Of The 2021 NHL Entry Draft
Sportschau Germany: Haenelt Drafted By Washington Capitals
Elite Prospects Profile on Haakon Hanelt
Ledroit: Hockey Junior Olympiques: Hanelt Commits with Olympiques
Olympiques de Gatineau Site
Eisbaeren Site

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About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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4 Responses to Haakon Hanelt: 2023 Annual Review And Forecast

  1. Sprak says:
    May 5, 2023 at 6:50 pm

    The caps will still hold his rights because he was drafted out of Germany correct?

    Reply
  2. Jon Sorensen says:
    May 5, 2023 at 9:56 pm

    Greetings folks! Just a quick note, if you haven’t done so already, please consider subscribing to NoVa Caps posts in the “subscribe” box located in the upper right corner. Thank you!

    Reply

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