Philipp Grubauer is ready to prove he’s your No. 1 man

The most famous German still to have ever played for the Colorado Avalanche remains Uwe Krupp. The man won a Stanley Cup for the Avs with a goal in triple overtime, for chrissakes. You know what, though? Uwe Krupp is also the only other German to have ever played for the Avalanche besides Philipp Grubauer.

Grubauer wants to be the same kind of hockey inspiration to his countrymen that Krupp and other pioneering Germans were to him. To some extent, that has already happened. Only 38 players born in Germany have, to date, played in the NHL.