Jake Hildebrand is the undisputed number one in goal for the Löwen Frankfurt.

He has played 24 of the 28 main round games in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).

Hildebrand showed that he is ready for higher tasks.

As in the third game of the 2022 second division final against the Ravensburg Towerstars, when the score was 0-0 and it went into extra time.

Ravensburg attacked, a striker came from a central position to finish the goal, but Hildebrand's catch hand rowed through the air with momentum.

He caught a puck that was barely visible to spectators.

Unsurprisingly, the lions extended his contract for another season after the DEL2 championship.

Hildebrand had never played in a major league in North America before.

Only three appearances in the American Hockey League (AHL) adorn his CV.

The goalkeeper's work in the different leagues doesn't change fundamentally, he says in an interview with the FAZ "There is a little more traffic in front of the goal in the DEL, the players show good moves.

For me, it's always important to find out how the opposing players are positioning themselves and where the dangers are lurking.” Hildebrand is usually on top of what's happening.

He is agile on his runners, he parries shots with his pads, his stick or with the protruding left hand.

Among the goalkeepers with at least twenty appearances in the DEL, Hildebrand has the second-best catch rate - only Schwenningen's Joacim Eriksson is better.

One of the crowd favourites

"Jake Hildebrand has established himself well in the league," says Frankfurt's sporting director Franz-David Fritzmeier about the professional with the number 30 shirt. However, having a strong goalkeeper like Hildebrand in the squad also means that the dependence on his performance is great.

"He's fit, he's in good spirits.

That's why there's usually nothing wrong with letting him play," says Fritzmeier.

Hildebrand's development has been supporting video and goalkeeping coach Josh Robinson since this season.

The two have known each other since the 2020/21 season when both were employed in identical positions by the Florida Everblades.

“Josh helped me in Florida.

I also have him to thank for the success,” says Hildebrand, who is one of the crowd favorites in Frankfurt.

If Jake Hildebrand doesn't show any outstanding performances on game days, it will be much more difficult for the lions to win the games.

In eight matches, including the 4:5 defeat after a penalty shoot-out against Wolfsburg on Thursday evening, his catch rate was below 90 percent.

The lions lost six of those games by conceding three or more goals.

Of course, a goalkeeper is also dependent on the behavior of the people in front: If the defensive work is not good, a goalkeeper has a hard time.

The North American's consistently good performances are said to be attracting interest from other clubs.

"If the big clubs open their wallets, then we are currently not in a position to bid.

But I'm quite hopeful that Jake already knows what he's got in us," says sporting director Fritzmeier.

A goalkeeper coach he knows, a regular place – and the favor of the Frankfurt public.