Leon Draisaitl Eyesโค Olympic Winter Games as NHL โSeason Begins
Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl is eagerly anticipating teh upcoming Olympic Winter โGames in February,calling participation โ”one of the special moments that you can experience as an athlete.”โ This year’s games in Milan adn โCortinaโข d’Ampezzo mark a notable shift fromโค theโค 2018 and 2022 Olympics, as the Nationalโค Hockey League will interrupt its season and release its top players to compete.
“Of course itโค is aโ topic of conversation, no question,” โDraisaitlโ statedโ from the Oilers’โ locker room,โค acknowledging the excitement surrounding Olympic selection.”Weโ will have boys who are definitely there and some who definitelyโฃ have a โchance.” He believesโ Canada isโ a strong favorite for gold, โbut โฃemphasized that all national teams will be represented by their โNHLโฃ stars, including a competitive German squad.โค The upcoming NHL season, beginning withโ a Wednesday night matchup betweenโ the Florida Panthers โand the Chicago Blackhawksโข featuring Lukas Reichel,โ serves as a prelude to the Olympic competition.
Draisaitl, currently โthe highest-paid ice hockey professional globally, is widely considered Germany‘s best player. Though, he isโ supported by aโข growing number of German players excelling in the NHL. Moritz Seider โof the Detroitโค Red Wingsโค is a top defenseman, โคwhile Tim Stรผtzle isโ a key player for theโค Ottawa โขSenators. JJโข Peterka recently signed a five-year,โ $38.5 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres (approximately 32.8 million euros), building on his 68โค scorer points from last season.
Other German players vying forโ Olympic spots include Reichel (Blackhawks), goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken), and Nico โคSturm (Minnesota Wild). Sturm, aโฃ Stanley Cup champion with both the โฃColorado Avalanche โ(2022) and Florida Panthers, hasโ become a crucial player for Germany’s national coach Harold kreis since his debutโ at the 2023 World Championship. Young Oilers โขprospect Josh Samanski has also impressedโฃ Draisaitl during pre-season training, with Draisaitl believing he has the potential to playโ in the โคNHL and represent Germany internationally.
The success of Germanโฃ ice hockey is also reflected in coaching ranks. Marco Sturm,who led Germanyโค toโฃ a silver medal at the 2018 South Korea Olympics,has now been appointed head coach of the Boston Bruins,a team for which he previously played and helped developโ German record holder Draisaitl. โคDraisaitl lauded this achievement as “outstanding โfor German โฃice hockey” and a “very fineโข task”โค for Sturm.
Draisaitl himself has โฃsurpassed Sturmโค as Germany’s โall-time leading goal scorerโ inโฃ the NHL and will haveโ the opportunityโ to add โto his current total of 399 goals duringโ Thursday night’s game against the Calgary Flames.
Source: DPA/STEP**