Career
He is currently playing for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Hecht has played 833 games in the National Hockey League (National Hockey League) for the Saint Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres. The Saint Louis Blues selected Hecht in the second round, 49th overall, of the 1995 National Hockey League Entry Draft from Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Hecht played two full seasons for the Blues, compiling 32 goals and 46 assists before being dealt, along with Marty Reasoner and January Horáček, to the Edmonton Oilers for Doug Weight and Michel Riesen on July 1, 2001.
After appearing in a full season with the Oilers, Hecht was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the 31st and 36th picks in the 2002 National Hockey League Entry Draft. As a Sabre, Hecht had his most successful National Hockey League season, in terms of points scored, in 2006-2007 with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists).
Hecht was chosen as the captain for the month of October 2007 and later during February 2008. He is the second German-born player to captain an National Hockey League team – Walt Tkaczuk was the first.
The C was rotated monthly during the 2007-2008 season.
On October 16, 2007, Hecht agreed to a four-year, $14.1 million contract extension, which kept him in Buffalo until the 2011-2012 season. Hecht scored his 300th career point on October 26, 2007, when he scored against Florida Panthers" goaltender Tomáš Vokoun. Hecht returned to the city of Mannheim with the Sabres to play against Adler in an exhibition game on October 4, 2011.
Hecht, who was recovering from an injury and did not play, received a standing ovation upon skating onto the ice in pre-game practice.
After being injured in January 2012 with a concussion, Hecht missed the remainder of the season and ended the year as a free agent. Several months into the 2012-2013 National Hockey League lockout, and after consulting with German doctors (who determined that some of his symptoms were neck-related), he rejoined Adler, joining Sabres linemate Jason Pominville, who joined Adler as a lockout player.
After the lockout ended, he re-signed with the Sabres to a one-year, $1 million deal. On April 26, 2013, Hecht announced his retirement from the National Hockey League to reporters in the locker room following the Sabres" final regular season game against the New York Islanders.
He planned to finish out his professional career in Mannheim.
The first two titles came before his National Hockey League career, in 1997 and 1998. Hecht appeared in four games with Team Germany at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He scored a goal and an assist as Germany finished eighth.
He had been named to the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
He was injured, however, in his last National Hockey League game before the Olympic break and was unable to play. He played in four World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Team Germany between 1994 and 1997, and shares the record for most games played in World Junior Ice Hockey Championships together with Switzerland"s Björn Christen.