Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl stole the spotlight Tuesday, leading Germany into the quarterfinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina with a commanding 5-1 victory over France at Santagiulia Arena.
In the process, he added another historic milestone to his growing legacy with the national team.
A Historic First for Germany
Draisaitl recorded a goal and two assists in the win, becoming the first German NHL player to post a three-point game at the Olympics. Logging a game-high 24:07 of ice time, he dictated the tempo from start to finish. Now sits at six points in the tournament.
That milestone adds to an already remarkable résumé. Among German players in NHL history, Draisaitl leads the way in career goals (428), assists (608), and total points (1,036).
Germany wasted little time asserting control. Just 3:40 into the first period, Draisaitl opened the scoring on the power play after being set up by teammate Josh Samanski. Later in the game, Draisaitl returned the favor, as the duo combined for five points in a performance that overwhelmed France.
“Definitely a step in the right direction today… We’ve got a big task ahead of us tomorrow,” Draisaitl said. “So today was a good step. And, yeah, well, we’ll get ready for tomorrow.”
Germany now prepares to face Team Slovakia in the quarterfinals, with a semifinal berth and a chance to compete for a medal on the line. It’s only the second time Germany has made the Olympic quarterfinals with NHL players, the first ending in a 5-0 loss to Team USA in 2002.
When asked what a potential medal would mean for his legacy, Draisaitl quickly shifted the spotlight away from himself. “I’m thinking about our team. I’m thinking about wanting to compete for a medal with our group. If the legacy filters into that, then sure, I’ll take it. But you know, this is a special time. We’ve got a great opportunity,” Draisaitl said.
Team Germany’s upcoming clash with Slovakia will be their third Olympic meeting in an NHL-participating tournament, but the first time they’ve faced each other this late in the competition.
“They’re a deep team. They finished first in their group for a reason, and for us, it’s a matter of finding our game early and getting to it and staying stingy,” he added.
Now, with momentum on their side and their biggest star leading the way, Germany will look to take another step forward and see just how far this Olympic run can go.
