The Edmonton Oilers boast one of the deepest rosters in the NHL, propelling them to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Yet even on this championship-caliber team, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl stand in a class of their own.
Since being drafted by Edmonton, the duo has transformed the franchise from a middling outfit into a perennial division leader. Now, their star power is pushing the NHL to expand its global footprint in ways it never has before.
Are Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Driving the NHL’s International Expansion Plans?
Members tackled several major agenda items at the NHL Board of Governors meeting on October 15. With the 2026 Winter Olympics marking the first time in 12 years that NHL players will participate, preparations dominated discussions.
However, the board also addressed international growth, with McDavid and Draisaitl serving as catalysts for change. The league is prioritizing investment in markets outside North America, where hockey has struggled to gain traction despite strong support in the U.S. and Canada.
Remarkably, neither McDavid nor Draisaitl has played an NHL game outside North America in their decade-plus careers. “It’s sort of at some point inevitable that that’ll happen,” said Oilers President Jeff Jackson. “But nothing’s planned at this point.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the league’s commitment to global expansion. “We’re focused on what we can be doing more outside of North America to continue to grow the game on a worldwide basis,” he said Wednesday.
“That’s becoming an increasing focus and priority for us because we believe we’re the most international, certainly with our player composition, of the four major sports in North America, and we think there’s a great opportunity,” Bettman added.
The commissioner stressed the NHL’s desire to deepen its presence in Europe, where stars like Draisaitl (Germany)Â and numerous players from Sweden, Russia, and Finland provide natural marketing opportunities.
“We’re not talking about starting a league,” Bettman clarified. “It’s more about playing games, media, grassroots programs, and providing content, the things we do in North America regularly, and we’ve been doing to some extent in Europe. But this is about investing more of ourselves in building.”
As part of the international push, the NHL announced a broadcast deal to air games in Australia every Saturday morning this season. The broadcast deal launches on October 18 with the Tampa Bay Lightning facing the Detroit Red Wings.
Australia will receive 21 live games this season, complete with dedicated commentary and intermission coverage. However, Europe remains the NHL’s primary international focus. The league will continue its Global Series this season with Pittsburgh and Nashville playing two games at Avicii Arena in Stockholm on November 14 and 16.
Bettman indicated the NHL could expand to additional markets beyond Europe and Australia as the initiative gains momentum.
