Team

Betting

OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA

Draisaitl proud to play NHL games in native Germany: ‘This is very special’

Photo credit: REUTERS

By Michael Menzies

Aug 22, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 21, 2026, 14:00 EDT

Comments

The NHL sees potential to grow the game in Germany, and Leon Draisaitl couldn’t be happier.

The league has hinted that it wants more overseas exposure, and Germany is a massive market to tap into, with a population of 83 million and a cycle that has produced multiple NHL All-Stars.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar is front and centre of this charge.

“This is something very special,” Draisaitl said during the partnership announcement between the NHL and FC Bayern on Thursday. “I believe we have a lot of potential in Germany…People here love ice hockey.”

The partnership is meant to grow hockey in Germany with NHL regular-season games over the next three years, while promoting the brand of one of the world’s biggest football clubs.

It capitalizes on a unique situation where Canada’s biggest soccer star, Alphonso Davies, plays for Bayern Munich, and Germany’s biggest hockey star, Draisaitl, plays in Edmonton. Davies was also in attendance at the event, alongside Boston Bruins forward JJ Peterka and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

Bayern Munich chief marketing and sales officer Rouven Kasper and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly meet in Munich – Saebener Strasse, Munich, Germany – August 20, 2026 Bayern Munich chief marketing and sales officer Rouven Kasper, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, Boston Bruins’ JJ Peterka and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies pose with a jersey and a trophy after a press conference REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

It won’t be long until the Oilers collectively go overseas, with two games announced in Cologne for the 2027-28 season in Draisaitl’s home city. By then, it’ll be almost a decade since the Oilers played an exhibition game against the local DEL team, the Cologne Sharks (Kölner Haie).

“The fact that the NHL and FC Bayern are establishing this cooperation sends a huge message for Germany and the NHL,” Draisaitl said. “I really appreciate this and am very proud of it. I’m just so excited to play a regular NHL game here in front of my family and friends.”

Düsseldorf will host the first regular-season game in Germany since 2011 this season, with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks playing on Dec. 18 and Dec. 20. Peterka’s Bruins will also play twice in his native Munich.

At the press conference, Daly hinted at the possibility of an outdoor game in Germany, a truly unique Winter Classic, that could be played at Allianz Arena, the home of FC Bayern.

“I don’t have anything to announce today, but certainly that’s on our radar screen as a possibility for the future,” said Daly. “We think the sky’s the limit in terms of the opportunity.”

As part of the announcement, Draisaitl and NHLPA Goals & Dreams have teamed up to donate 58 complete sets of hockey equipment to Kölner Haie youth teams.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE NATION GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Nation Golf Tournament driven by GMC is back Friday, August 28, 2026! Which means it’s once again socially acceptable to skip work on a Friday for “networking.” Join us on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Mill Woods Golf Course for an 18-hole Texas scramble shotgun start, questionable swing decisions, and enough chirping to last the entire offseason. Grab your squad and sign up now at nationexperiences.ca before it sells out!