It’ll only be a matter of time before the Edmonton Oilers hoist the Stanley Cup. Well, at least according to Canadian soccer superstar Alphonso Davies.

During the press conference, which revealed that the Oilers will be one of four teams to play two games in Germany in 2027-28 to attempt to grow the game in the European country, Davies predicted that the Oilers will have a bounce-back season, saying this:

The Oilers are set to play in Köln against unknown opponents. Köln, also known as Cologne, happens to be the birthplace of Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl. There’s no better example of the game growing in Germany than looking at Draisaitl’s career.

He’s the first of a few superstars who have made the country become a mainstay in notable tournaments, a golden generation of sorts. In a way, Draisaitl’s career has paralleled Davies’ career.

Davies was born to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana in 2000, settling in the city of Edmonton in 2005. Before joining Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps at the age of 14, the left back played his youth soccer with the Edmonton Strikers and Edmonton Internationals.

The 25-year-old quickly made a name for himself in MLS, becoming a key player for the Whitecaps. At the age of 16, Davies became a Canadian citizen and became the youngest player to ever play for the Canadian men’s national team.

With explosive speed on the wing, Davies’ talent, just like Draisaitl’s, was obvious. In the summer of 2018, Bayern Munich came calling, and by January 2019, Davies joined the prestigious soccer club. It didn’t take long for Davies to become a key member of the club, helping them win the 2020 Champions League. Around the same time, Draisaitl became one of the NHL’s best players.

Davies also helped Canada qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first time the men had done that since 1986. Injuries have hampered his career in recent years, but Davies’ emergence as one of, if not the best, left backs in soccer has put Canada on a global stage, with the country co-hosting the 2026 World Cup and appearing in the Round of 16.

And now, Davies is part of an initiative to help grow the sport of hockey in Germany. In December, the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks will play in Düsseldorf, which will be the second and third regular-season games hosted in the country.

Germany’s presence in hockey has grown rapidly over the last decade, and Draisaitl is a big reason for it. Drafted third overall by the Oilers in 2014, not only has Draisaitl emerged as one of the best players in this generation, but he is by far the best German-born player in NHL history.

After missing the 2014 Olympics, the Germans went on to win the silver medal at the 2018 Olympics and finish sixth in the 2026 Olympics. They also won a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, a tournament that featured NHL players, unlike the 2018 Olympics.

Even at the junior level, Germany’s national team has been making strides. They spent the second half of the 2010s in Group A, but earned promotion at the 2019 tournament and have remained in the World Junior Championship for the past seven tournaments. In that stretch, they had back-to-back sixth-place finishes, matching the highest placement in the team’s history, which came at the 1980 WJC.

Their international success has certainly paid off as well. Not only is Draisaitl a top-five player in the league, but the country has produced stars in Moritz Seider, Tim Stützle, and JJ Peterka. Similarly, Canada’s men’s team has also produced talents like Jonathan David, Ismaël Koné, Promise David, and a boatload of other young men in Canada’s golden generation.

Hockey is Canada’s main sport, and soccer is Germany’s main sport. But both the Canadian men’s soccer team and Germany’s men’s national hockey team are slowly becoming noteworthy teams to keep an eye on in future tournaments, and this partnership will only help grow the sport in Germany.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.

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