While the Edmonton Oilers are preparing for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season, star forward Leon Draisiatl is already set for an emotional homecoming in his native Germany with the rest of his teammates in the 2027-28 NHL season.
The NHL announced on Thursday that the Oilers will play a game in Cologne, Draisaitl’s hometown, as part of the 2027 NHL Global Series Germany in 2027-28.
The top forward in the NHL today who hails from Germany, it will naturally be an exciting homecoming for him.
Edmonton Oilers Forward Leon Draisaitl Is Set For An Emotional Homecoming In Germany
Naturally, Draisaitl is already looking forward to the prospect of playing an NHL regular season game in his hometown.
“This is something very special; I believe we have a lot of potential in Germany,” Draisaitl said via a translation of his words via the Bayern Munich website “People here love ice hockey.
“The fact that the NHL and FC Bayern are establishing this cooperation sends a huge message for Germany and the NHL,” he continued. “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.”
Meanwhile, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is excited about the NHL’s ongoing tradition of playing overseas.
“We have a commitment for a third year of bringing games here, so we’ll see how it all plays out,” Daly said. “We’re very optimistic we’ll have significant success as we’re doing in Dusseldorf, where we have two games on Dec. 18 and 20 of this year. So we think the sky’s the limit in terms of the opportunity.”
“There is a full-out effort to connect with the German fan base,” Daly said.
As of now, the Oilers don’t know their opponent for the international matchup. They hope to come into that game having enjoyed better success in 2026-27 than they did in 2025-26, a season in which they struggled with consistency and were ultimately eliminated in the opening round of the postseason.
The Oilers Aren’t The Only NHL Team That Will Play In Germany In 2027-28
In addition to the Oilers, the Boston Bruins will also be heading overseas to face a yet to be determined opponent; their game will take place in Munich.
The Bruins will feature German-born head coach Marco Sturm, along with recently acquired forward J.J. Peterka in their lineup marking their returns to their homelands.
“The NHL Global Series games in 2027 bring two of the NHL’s best players in Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka back to play in front of their hometown fans,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. “Germany has a proud hockey tradition, and these NHL Global Series games are part of the League and NHLPA’s ongoing commitment to build meaningful connections between NHL players and the German marketplace.”
Germany is set to host its fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh NHL regular-season games. The country’s history of staging NHL action began on Oct. 8, 2011, when the Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres opened the series with a matchup at O2 World in Berlin.
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