Sandra: He didn’t like ice skating very much at first, but we didn’t push it. Of course, Leon was in the locker room and sometimes in his dad’s arms after a game. Leon also watched the games on my lap with total focus, which was unusual because all the other kids were playing together, but he sat and watched.

In 1998, Leon was two and a half and Peter was at the Olympics in Nagano. Leon sat in front of the TV in full ice hockey gear with skates and a stick and watched his dad. It was a bit crazy, and I smile now because Leon’s nephew Carlo (Kim’s son) is the same age and just as crazy about hockey and watching.

Peter: He was around five when he started. And did he love it right away? I wouldn’t say so. It was a bit of a struggle. I remember not only one situation, but a few of them where you get up at five in the morning and drive him to practice or to a game, then you put the gear on, you have him dressed and you sweat and it’s hot and he kind of hated it. And after you’re done, he looks at you as said, “I don’t go.”  It happened a few times. It’s so funny when you think about it. So, it was definitely a process.

Sandra: As a mother, it was sometimes exhausting because I tried to show Leon other things, with little success. It was just hockey, hockey, and hockey. Leon needed a maximum of one meter of space, no matter where… then he unscrewed the caps off bottles and played hockey against himself, shooting the caps at himself with his hands for hours until the moves worked. But at that point, he had never been on the ice.

When he was five Leon started at the KEC skating school in Cologne, but he stopped again because he didn’t feel like putting on and taking off his gear. At home, he thought the equipment was great, he even fell asleep with his stick and helmet (his first helmet came from Jörg Mayr), but he didn’t really want to play, because he was shy with all the boys he didn’t know.

So, then we went to soccer for a year, Fortuna Cologne, where he had a coach, a girl, who wouldn’t let him shoot, and then he came to me, angry at the coach, and said he wanted to play hockey again. After that it was just hockey.

Peter: He had a real talent for ball sport. He could throw the ball immediately, and he was really good at soccer, European football, which I thought was unbelievable. But that only lasted a short time. He still has good ball handling skills though.

Sandra: For a long time, I wondered why Leon never showed any emotion after a game, regardless of whether he won or lost. The only thing that made him happy after the game was his lunch box with his lunch. I have to laugh… Mummy’s lunch box with treats. Then, at some point, after he lost a game in Iserlohn, he totally freaked out for the first time and smashed his stick. From that moment on, his ambition to win was there, and everything changed.

Leon: I don’t remember the specific game, but I remember a time where I started to be more emotional and I think over time, it’s just who I am. My emotions at times get shown, and sometimes, they go a little too far. I’ve been that way for a long time. I’ve always had the ability to reflect on myself the night after. I’m a very self-aware person, and I think that’s very important when you are emotional, or when you put so much energy and emotion into games, and into situations that you’re able to reflect after, and kind of get back to even and level ground. And I’m always able to do that. So, it doesn’t affect my game.

Peter: It was clear very early that Leon did not feel comfortable when I tried to coach him. We tried like a few times to go to the woods, and we did some off-ice stuff, because I knew what to do because I was coaching myself. But he didn’t feel very comfortable practicing with his dad. Whether it was me or Sandra, we never put any kind of pressure on him.

What we did and what he loved was going out on Sunday, when the stores were closed and in some random parking lot, and put out a net or shoot against the wall or stick handle. He loved these kinds of things. We did that a lot, basically what we call street hockey.

Peter: He felt like Cologne was not going the right way, so he wanted a better organization program. He was 13 when he sat in the kitchen and said he was going to Mannheim.

And we were like, what, where are you going, what? Jesus, what are we talking about?

Mannheim was three hours from Cologne, which seems like not much, but I had a job, and Sandra had a job. He was gone and we barely saw him during the season. It wasn’t easy for me, but I kind of went the same path when I was playing. If you want to do something with hockey, then you must go for it and be all in.

I think it was much harder for Sandra. To see your 13-year-old boy go out the door was tough. He got an apartment in Mannheim with two other boys. You must grow up fast. He was homesick. I remember talking to him on the phone and he admitted he was sad and missed his family, but he never mentioned coming home. He had a goal and he stuck with it.

Sandra: Somehow, I knew that Leon would go somewhere else early on, at around 18, I thought, totally naively, not at 13 years of age and the NHL was never on my radar. But I would never have stood in his way. When you see your child develop a passion and love for something, you give them the chance. The first step was Mannheim, 250 km away from Cologne, and I stood at the train station and cried.

Kim: Even though it was hard to watch Leon leave at such a young age, we made staying close a priority. We talked constantly — calls, messages — whatever it took to stay part of each other’s daily lives. Whenever we did get the chance to see each other in person, we made the most of that time. I think what really kept us close was that we always supported each other. The physical space changed, but the relationship never did.

Leon: At that time Mannheim was just the best program in Germany. And I wanted to be around the other great players in Germany. And for me personally, it was an easy decision at that moment, but once my parents dropped me off there, there was a couple hours where it was sad and quite emotional for me. But I think it was a lot harder for my family, probably. Luckily, Mannheim is not too far from Cologne, so I was able to see them a little bit. But that was a great step for me in my career.

Sandra: When he went to Prince Albert, that was a much bigger step for Leon, I think the biggest he ever did, than it was for us. Of course we missed him a lot, but he had to learn the language, the new culture and a new style of hockey and new systems. We visited him and tried to support him.

I remember when I saw him play there for the first time, nothing seemed to fit, and I saw him again in Cologne after the season. Leon was growing, his legs and arms were much too long, but he started to fill out his body. After my time in Mannheim, I noticed how Leon can adapt to the game and new circumstances. He observes. At first, I wasn’t aware of it, as if he wasn’t there, and then suddenly he adapts to the game, gets involved and controls it. That ability helped him adjust to hockey and life in Canada.

Peter: The dream to go to North America, well, Canada especially, it was always there. It was always present. This is what he wanted, and it was clear enough very early that he wants to go and play the game, where he thought it should be played, in Canada. I just remember Sandra and Kim went to see him once. I went once in the winter, and it was so cold. But I met his billet, Carol Ring, a wonderful woman. We owe her a lot. She took great care of Leon. She was like a grandmother to him.

Leon: I talked a lot during that time with my family, with my dad, my mom, my sister, but also the other guys who went to Canada to play, like Dominik Kahun, for example. Him and I were in the same situation. At that time, it was Skype, actually. And we would FaceTime a lot or Skype a lot. And I think it brought a little sense of home for me. Yes, there were times when it was hard, of course, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’d do it all over again if I had to. I also had an amazing billet in Prince Albert. Carol made the transition so much easier. She is a special woman.

Peter: Well, first and foremost, I don’t know why, and I don’t know if it was on purpose or if it just developed that way… I never really looked at Leon that way. It was probably the best thing we ever did, as parents, we were never like let’s go, you have to do this, and you have to do that. For me as a hockey man or coach, whatever, yes, I saw he could do things that maybe some kids can’t do, call it skillset, call it talent, whatever you want to call it. But it was never me thinking he could be a great hockey player.

But when he went to Mannheim, and then to PA (Prince Albert), then time flies and he is drafted pretty high for the NHL. That’s when I was like, this could happen. This is real. And then we tried to really support him, give him advice. Tell him how the dressing room works. How to behave himself. How to treat his equipment and little things like that.

Peter: Well, things like this, I saw out on the street when we were shooting pucks or balls against the wall, and we were trying to get that thing from forehand to backhand in one movement or from backhand to forehand and then shoot the puck. Then I realized that his hand coordination, puck or ball control, it’s in his blood.

Peter: I looked at other kids, they were six, seven, eight, and I was like, don’t do that, and give them a curved stick. So, I gave him a straight stick. The professionals were using big curves and whatever and when he saw them, he wanted it. I was a little bit behind the times, so I always gave him a straight stick. I think the only thing I can say I had some influence on was his stick (laughs).

Peter: Well, not exactly loud, but people were always saying he is a funny guy. He is good at mimicking and impersonating people. He probably could do a very good Jason Gregor impression. So, in that regard, he was funny. Sometimes we were laughing so hard when he would impersonate people we knew. But other than that, he wasn’t very loud or outspoken.

I would say maybe something in between not loud and not a quiet kid who sits in a corner and saying nothing. He was quite focused. I think he realized very early that he wants the hockey stuff and he wants to be good at it.

Peter: It is hard to describe, because this is something you feel inside. And it’s not easy to put it in words and explain it to somebody. Emotionally, is it pride, excitement or a combination of all of it? I just know it was a phenomenal feeling. I remember pretty much the entire five days we were in Philadelphia, because, for us, as a family, it was new, it was exciting. It was a hell of an experience for us as a family as well. Some of the best times in our lives.

When I was playing, we thought the NHL, and specifically the Oilers, were playing on the moon or something, it (the NHL) seemed so far away in terms of skill and opportunity. We admired the Oilers back then and I played with Paul Messier, and his brother Mark came to practice with us a few summers. The Oilers were our heroes, and I was lucky to meet him privately. So, when Leon got drafted by the Oilers it was pretty emotional. It was almost like it was meant to be a little bit.

Peter: That’s a tough question. On one point I couldn’t be prouder of Leon, but for me, it seems a little bit surreal. I look at how he is doing and to score 1,000 NHL points, I really can’t imagine it. It is unbelievable. I never thought about stuff like that. The time goes on and now he’s 30 years old and you think about him being drafted, then going to Bakersfield for a bit and then scoring 100 points, winning trophies, and scoring titles. It is crazy, but I don’t take it for granted.

It’s amazing, it’s amazing. People back home are extremely proud of what he has been able to do, but at the same time, as his father, and Sandra is the same as his mother, no matter how old your kids are we always look to see, is he happy? Is he healthy? Is he doing well? Is he enjoying his life? This is what we care about the most. I definitely do.

Kim: As an athlete, Leon impresses me with his dedication — he works incredibly hard, stays disciplined, and constantly pushes himself to grow. But honestly, what stands out even more is who he is as a person. He’s humble and always willing to help others. He carries himself with kindness and maturity, and that combination of talent and character is what truly sets him apart.

Peter: A couple of months ago, Leon went to his old rink here in Cologne and it blew up. Many people started coming and you could see it in the eyes of the young kids who were five, six and seven, that meeting him meant a lot to them. I can feel it. People ask me all the time about Leon; nobody asks about me (laughs). Whether it is fans, businesspeople, coaches, managers, players, owners they all ask about him, and it is great. When he scores 1,000 points it will be big for the German hockey community.

Eakins: My first impressions was that Leon was an old soul. He seemed to be very calm and measured. Very professional for his age. But when talking to him and getting to know him, you could tell that he had been raised very well. His parents should be very proud of the young man that they have raised.

Eakins: The most impressive aspect about Leon is that he is dangerous in multiple areas. Some guys in the league are shooters and others are passers. Some guys will beat you with skill and others will beat you down with physicality. Leon is one of those guys who can just ask you: How do you want to play tonight? Do you want a skill game? Or do you want to go out in the alleyway and have it out? He’s a gamer and he is up and ready for any type of game.

The other thing that I have always respected about him is his ability to wear his heart on his sleeve. He is highly competitive and you don’t have to guess what kind of mood he is in. He knows right from wrong and he is not going to “play nice” with anyone.

Todd McLellan 2016-2019: His ability to hold people off and protect the puck while surveying the ice to make a play. Very few have been better at that.

Ken Hitchcock (2018/19): Leon is an elite player because he sees the game five seconds in advance. He knows where everyone is on the ice and he sees the play developing well ahead of time. He has the unique ability to see where the players are and where they’re going to end up well before the play actually starts. It’s a very unique quality not many players can do that for me. He’s also like an old school player in the way they used to play to absorb the check, create time and look for other options. He’s terrific at it.

Dave Tippett (2022-2022): I always thought Leon has three main strengths in his game:

1. His shot is deadly.

2. Amazing passing skills.

3. The most import of the three is that he has the mind to maximize the top two assets. He gets to position to shoot and has the hockey sense and the patience to give himself the best chance to score. His passing is pinpoint, forehand or backhand, at times high risk but usually successful. A high rate of success in both aspects that make him elite.Kris Knoblauch (2024-present): The way he can score with his one timer at such a terrible angle is remarkable, but I am most impressed with how powerful he is. He is much faster than most think because of his powerful long stride, and the way he can hold anyone off the puck.

McLellan: We challenged him to be the best player on the ice. Playing with 97 that is not easy to do, but many nights he has. I’d say he has done that quite well.

Hitchcock: We challenged Leon to become a 200-foot player, and he really embraced that role. He became a great player coming back into our zone being a low forward, offering support for wingers or defenders. He was really good at reading the rush defensively so we could transition offensively, and he really embraced what he was being taught. I am so proud of him for becoming the player he is right now.

Leon reminds me of Gordie Howe. I know that’s significant company, but that’s the way Gordy played. He absorbed all the checks held onto the puck and found open people all the time. It is the same way Leon plays.

Tippett: The area I tried to push Leon to improve was becoming an elite two-way player. He always admired (Anze) Kopitar, so I tried to push him in some high-pressure defending situations like the PK 5-on-4 and especially 5-3, defensive zone faceoffs at key times, matchups vs top players. Situations offensively and defensively to give him the opportunity to help determine the outcome of the game.

He has become one of the top forwards in the game and I would love to see him and Connor get a Cup.

Since Knoblauch is his current coach, I asked him a slightly different final question. How do you challenge or help improve an elite player like Leon’s game?

Knoblauch: I try and surround him with players that will complement him, but it’s more like surrounding players that he will complement the most. Like all players, everyone needs reminders, but Leon is very good at assessing where his game is at.

When he first came to the league, obviously the first question was how he used the blade he used (laughs). But we spent a lot of time together, not only on the ice but off the ice and getting to know each other in this league. I’ve always thought the highest of him as a person, as a friend, and as a teammate. He’s always been a very special person to me and I’m very fortunate to play with him.

I think his two-way play is very, it’s crazy to say, but underrated. There’s an element of his game that is very unique. He’s hard to play against based of the way he sees the game, is able to pick up on nuances of other skilled players around the league and kill plays in the defensive zone or neutral zone and turn that into offense. His passing was always very prevalent when he was coming into the league, and he’s an elite goal scorer now, but his two-way play has been a huge asset for us.

He’s pretty good. He can’t do me, but he’s pretty good. His best one, I can’t say publicly (laughs). But it’s very funny.

His ability to make plays under pressure, like with bodies and under contact. It’s impressive how he’s able to do that.

Just what a big man he is, even at 19, 20 years old he was a big man. I don’t think you understand until you are around him.

I think his sense of humor. Honestly, he’s hilarious. He always has me laughing. He’s definitely a passionate guy, passionate about hockey, passionate about the things he cares about, the people he cares about and that makes him a good friend.

He can be stubborn, definitely can be stubborn, but I think that’s part of what makes him great, honestly. It is his will to want to compete, to want to be great, but definitely a stubborn guy (laughs).

McDavid with a smile: He is great at it. I’m not sure I have one specific favourite. He does different languages and accents and friends and teammates. He does it all. He’s very funny.

I would say his size, his skilled size and his puck protection, he’s so big and holds guys just kind of on his back and makes plays. It’s really, really impressive.

I mean, obviously, just lots of talent right away. Big kid, the way he could hold on to the puck and shed guys at 19 years old was always impressive. But I think what impressed me the most, when he first came in, is that he was more of a passer. And he really worked on his shot, and he got to a point where he’s getting 50 goals a year. When he came in, his shot wasn’t where it is now. He knew that he wanted to work on it, and he did.

I mean, he just cares. He cares so much about guys, and not just in hockey. That’s what makes a good teammate and a good friend, and he definitely has that quality.

Yeah, that’s tough to pick just one. His puck protection is so good, but I think his one-time ability, from anywhere. That’s how you score goals. That’s how he scores so many goals. That’s something that I definitely can improve on. So, I would say his one-time is what I’d want.

(He laughs) maybe. Not that I know, but maybe. Obviously, he’s German, so he has that experience of the German accent. He’s really good at getting the Finnish guys especially.

These three swore me to secrecy, but they did agree his best one is a former teammate. When I asked about that one, Draisaitl had a big grin, and said, “That one is really good. I agree.”

Draisaitl: I mean, yes, it was always the goal. You know, my dad always said to me, “If you’re going over there to prove yourself to be around the best, then try to be the best. Don’t go over there and try to be average or just try a little bit.” Don’t take that the wrong way. He wasn’t pressuring me to be great, but for my father it was just a mindset. My dad saw a lot of potential in me to go over there and try to be the best player in the world. And I always tried to do that, and I still try to do that. And I think that mindset has helped shape me into who I am today.

Draisaitl (smiles): There’s lots of good ones. It was always something that came easy to me even as a kid. My parents used to laugh when I’d impersonate people we knew. I think my mom and my dad always said if I wasn’t a hockey player I could be a stand-up comedian of some type. I’m not so sure about that, but impressions do come easy for me at times.