The National Hockey League made a significant announcement this morning, when we learned that the Edmonton Oiler will play a pair of games in alternate captain Leon Draisaitl's home city of Cologne, Germany. These games, along with two games in Munich, where Boston Bruin's forward JJ Peterka hails from, will be the most games played in Germany in a single season, bringing the all-time total to seven.
Germany has generally been a second tier market when it comes to developing hockey players capable of playing in the NHL, but there can be little question that the country's national program has come a significant distance since the early 2000s. Draisaitl, drafted in 2014, is the highest scoring player of German descent in league history and with Peterka and others like Tim Stützle following in his stead, it feels like Germany is more likely to be playing for medals than avoiding relegation in the years to come.
Location, location, location
Cologne might not be the first city in Germany that comes to a North American mind, but Lanxess Arena, the Cologne rink that will host the Oilers, is a world class facility. Seating 18,500 fans, it's a major concert venue in Germany and it will surely have a major league atmosphere when Draisaitl takes the ice. Built in 1998, its name comes from specialty chemicals sponsor, Lanxess AG.
The Oilers have played Lanxess Arena once previously, in a 2018 exhibition game during the NHL Global Series Challenge. The arena has also hosted multiple International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments, as well as a long list of concerts and other sporting events.
The opportunity to play regular season hockey in front of his home country's friends and family should be an inspirational moment for Draisaitl. And imagine the raucous cheers if the Oilers are able to win the Stanley Cup this year and Draisaitl is able to bring Lord Stanley out and lift it above his arms in the city of his birth. Exciting times! The Oilers and Bruins' opponents are currently unnamed, but if I were betting, I'd put the Ottawa Senators high on the list so that Stützle can have a moment in the spotlight, and the other significant German-born NHLer who might find themselves in Germany in 2027 is the Detroit Red Wings defenseman, Moritz Seider.
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