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Austin Ortega

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Austin Ortega
Ortega with EHC Red Bull München in 2023
Born (1994-04-12) April 12, 1994 (age 30)
Escondido, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
KHL team
Former teams		 Free agent
San Diego Gulls
Eisbären Berlin
Växjö Lakers
HC TPS
EC Red Bull Salzburg
EHC München
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2017–present

Austin Ortega (born April 12, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey right-winger. Born and raised in Escondido, California, Ortega began playing ice hockey at the age of five. He played four seasons of collegiate ice hockey for the Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey team, setting an NCAA record for most game-winning goals. After spending his senior year as captain of the Mavericks, Ortega signed his first professional contract with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.

Early life

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Ortega was born on April 12, 1994, to parents Frank and Tessie Ortega in Escondido, California[1] and is of Mexican and Filipino descent. Ortega first became interested in ice hockey after watching a game at the Escondido Ice-Plex at the age of five. From there, he convinced his parents to allow him to play the sport.[2]

Playing career

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Collegiate

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Ortega (right) during a game against Ohio State

Ortega played for the Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey team from 2013 to 2017. In his freshman season, he scored the fastest goal to open a game in school history in a 6-0 win over Colorado College on February 28, 2014. Ortega concluded the season with a Bauer NCHC Rookie of the Week honor and was named to NCHC Academic All-Conference Team.[1] The following year, Ortega set an NCAA record for most game-winning goals, surpassing Doug Weight's previous record of seven.[3]

Professional

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After spending his senior year as captain of the Mavericks, Ortega signed his first professional contract with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.[4] He played two seasons with the Gulls before being assigned to the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL.[5] Within Ortega's first two months in the league, he was named the ECHL Player of the Month.[6] Ortega eventually left North America and signed a contract with the Växjö Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[7]

In February 2019, Ortega signed a contract with the Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Berlin, Germany for the remainder of the season.[8] In his first weekend with the team, he recorded two goals and three assists.[9] During an October 2019 pre-season game against the Chicago Blackhawks, play-by-play commentator Pat Foley said, "Ortega, who sounds like he ought to be a shortstop.” Although Ortega refused to speak to him after the game, he accepted Foley's apology.[10] At the end of the 2019–20 season, the DEL agreed on a league-wide salary waiver for the following season as part of the licensing process. As a result, Ortega agreed to waive his contract and left the team.[11]

His contract was terminated by TPS in October because "expectations were not met." At the time of his termination, Ortega had accumulated six points in 16 games.[12]

Austin Ortega has made a significant impact during his time with EHC Red Bull München in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Joining the team in 2022, he quickly became a standout player, particularly in the 2022-2023 season. Known for his speed and agility, Ortega consistently contributed to Red Bull Munich’s offense, achieving a point streak during the playoffs, especially in a quarterfinal series where he scored in every game. His efforts helped Munich secure the DEL championship, with Ortega’s combination of goals and assists playing a critical role in their success (69 points total; 32 goals and 37 assists).

In addition to his offensive prowess, Ortega worked effectively alongside teammates like Yasin Ehliz and Ben Smith. Together, they formed a potent line that caused problems for opposing defenses throughout the season and in the playoffs. Ortega’s ability to perform under pressure solidified his reputation as a key player for the team, contributing both on the scoreboard and in playmaking.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Austin Ortega". omavs.ca. Omaha. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Evans, Jim Tal (March 31, 2016). "Ortega has become one of college hockey's best". Daily Times-Advocate. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Helland, Kelsey (March 11, 2015). "FORMER FORCE PLAYER ORTEGA SETS NCAA RECORD". fargoforce.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  4. ^ "ORTEGA SIGNS WITH SAN DIEGO". omavs.com. March 20, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "ECHL TRANSACTIONS - JAN. 7". echl.com. ECHL. January 7, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  6. ^ "Austin Ortega Named ECHL Player of Month". oursportscentral.com. March 2, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  7. ^ "Växjö Lakers signar amerikansk högerskytt". vaxjolakers.se (in Swedish). 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "Eisbären Berlin verpflichten Stürmer Austin Ortega". rbb24.de (in German). February 6, 2019. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "Ortega bringt Eisbären in Schwung". rbb24.de (in German). February 18, 2019. Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Greenfield, Jimmy (October 1, 2019). "Pat Foley apologizes for making a racially insensitive comment during the Blackhawks preseason game in Berlin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  11. ^ "Eisbären einigen sich auf Gehaltsverzicht - Ortega geht". rbb24.de (in German). July 9, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Ahola, Harri (October 12, 2020). "TPS:n ulkomaalaiskaarti pienenee taas yhdellä – nyt lähtövuorossa on Austin Ortega" (in Finnish). Turun Sanomat. Retrieved April 14, 2021.

https://www.redbullmuenchen.de/en/news/ehc-red-bull-muenchen-austin-ortega-ganz-privat-im-grossen-interview

https://www.redbullmuenchen.de/en/news/ehc-red-bull-muenchen-das-hat-ortega-in-den-del-playoffs-geschafft

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