Pirmin Blaak, 38, had reportedly ended his hockey career in May after winning Olympic gold and being named the world’s best goalkeeper. He was expected to return this weekend at the Euro Hockey League in Eindhoven, playing for German club Rot-Weiss Köln rather than his former club, Oranje-Rood. Blaak said the arrangement would give him a few more weeks of competition and the chance to get to know new teammates. He was expected to spend much of the EHL on the bench, with his main involvement in Germany’s domestic competition planned for the weeks afterward.