Following an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers captain Leon Draisaitl attributed Germany’s disappointing performance at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan to a lack of conceptual cohesion within the team. Germany, considered a strong contender entering the tournament, was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Slovakia.
“It’s too difficult at this level when everyone isn’t on the same page and everyone knows how we want to play,” Draisaitl said after the NHL game. “I think it took us too long to really find who we are as a team and how we want to play.”
When pressed on who bore responsibility for this shortfall, the Cologne-born forward responded, “Everyone. It’s about the players, coaches could certainly have done more. But it’s us players who are out there and as a team we have to put what our best performance is on the ice.” He asserted that the team ultimately failed to deliver that performance, and “that’s on us.”
Draisaitl also voiced criticism regarding the expectations placed upon the German team prior to the Olympics, fueled by the participation of several NHL players. “Some things were thrown out there that weren’t entirely understandable. We’ve never played together in that configuration and we had six NHL players with us, so it’s not like we had a team full of superstars. It sometimes came across a bit like that,” he stated.
Despite acknowledging the external expectations, Draisaitl conceded that the team itself harbored ambitions of success. “We were a very, very good team with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the most of it.”
Draisaitl, who was named captain of the German national team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics on February 9th, alongside alternate captains Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings and Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, had previously represented Germany at the World Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, recording six points in six games in both tournaments. He was originally selected second overall in the 2012 CHL Import Draft by the Prince Albert Raiders before being drafted third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2014. In 2020, Draisaitl became the first German player to win the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy. He also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2025.
The German Ice Hockey Federation has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Draisaitl’s assessment.
