Leon Draisaitl isn’t shying away from the idea of lining up across from Connor McDavid on hockey’s biggest international stage. With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics fast approaching, the longtime Oilers teammates could soon find themselves as rivals.
The Olympic men’s hockey tournament will run from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22. Draisaitl will suit up for Germany, while McDavid will lead Team Canada. And the possibility of the two superstars facing each other has already sparked plenty of buzz.
Leon Draisaitl vs. Connor McDavid: A Friendly Rivalry Takes Shape
The men’s Olympic hockey tournament will feature 12 teams. Each team will play three preliminary games within its group. Canada has been placed in Group A. Germany will compete in Group C, leaving the possibility of a playoff showdown open.
Speaking on Thursday, Draisaitl was asked how he would feel if Germany advanced deep into the tournament and ended up facing Canada and McDavid in the knockout rounds.
“It’s scary. For him. No, that would be really special, of course,” Leon Draisaitl said. “It might feel a little weird at first… but when the puck drops, he’s going to look to give his team the best chance to win and I’m going to do the same for our country. I think that’s what makes those tournaments so great.”
Draisaitl admitted it would be a strange experience, given how closely the two have worked together in Edmonton, but said the competitive switch would flip the moment the game starts.
“That would obviously be a unique situation and an odd feeling,” he added. “We’ll see where it goes.”
The two superstars have crossed paths internationally once before, back at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, when Canada topped Germany 5-2 in the preliminary round. A meeting on the Olympic stage, however, would carry far more weight.
Off the ice, Draisaitl could also take center stage during Germany’s Olympic opening ceremony. He is one of three male finalists to be named the nation’s flag-bearer. Alongside Nordic combined skier Johannes Rydzek and six-time Olympic gold medalist luger Tobias Wendl.
“It’s a big honor to be a part of that,” Leon Draisaitl said. And to even be in the conversation is something that I don’t take lightly… would be a highlight in in my career or in my life, you know. There’s a lot of great athletes coming out of our country, and to be able to, you know, represent them regardless of whether I win or not is pretty special.”
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The flag-bearer will be determined by a fan vote, open until Feb. 3, with the winners announced on Feb. 5 ahead of the Feb. 6 opening ceremony in Milan.
