When you think of the origins of NHL players, you think of countries like Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Germany? Not so much. However, that could change in a few years, and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is why.
Related: 7 Cool Things About Connor McDavid
Being the third overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft is exciting in and of itself for German hockey fans, but even Draisaitl’s biggest supporters wouldn’t have imagined him reaching the level he is now. At age 29, he won the Hart Award, the Arts Ross Award, and the Ted Lindsay Award. With his offensive skillset, he’ll likely have even more hardware when his career is over.
While Draisaitl’s on-ice performance gets most of the attention, he’s an interesting character who doesn’t shy away from the media like his teammate Connor McDavid. With that said, here are seven cool things to know about the German star.
Germany’s top scorer in history
In a game on April 26, 2020-21, Draisaitl scored one goal and assisted one goal, helping the team defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-1. While it’s not unusual for him to travel more than once, this one is extra special. That second point of the night happened to be his 488th career point, surpassing compatriot Marco Sturm and making him the highest-scoring German forward in history.
Draisaitl now sits at 967 points and isn’t slowing down any time soon. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that he was able to rack up so many points despite playing only 800 games.
German Gretzky
He was long known as German Gretzky due to his success not only at the NHL level, but also while playing hockey as a kid. Draisaitl made it clear that he’s not a big fan of the name, as he considers Wayne Gretzky to be the best player of all time and doesn’t believe he’s anywhere near that level.
Perhaps what makes the nickname even more embarrassing is that he played for the Oilers, a team for which Gretzky contributed 1,669 points. Although he will never reach Gretzky’s level, there is no denying that he is the best hockey player Germany has ever produced and will likely remain that status for many years to come.
Dad plays professional hockey
Although hockey is not as well-known in Germany as it is in Canada, Dragset’s love for the game comes from his father, Peter, who himself played professional hockey for several years. He spent all of his 18-year career in Germany, including six seasons in the Bundesliga.
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After retiring, Peter coached professional hockey for many years, most recently coaching the Bratislava Capitals in Austria during the 2020-21 season. Oilers fans can thank Peter for fostering Draisaitl’s passion for the game.
Scored the final goal at Rexall Square
Draisaitl returned for his first full season as an Oiler in 2015-16, which happened to be his final season playing football at Rexall Place. The building has a rich history, having been the home of the Oilers for five Stanley Cup championships and has seen numerous Hall of Fame players perform over the years.
Draisaitl himself has some history at Rexall Place, having scored the final goal in the building. On April 6, the Oilers hosted the Vancouver Canucks in their last home game of the season. Late in the third quarter, the game was already sealed, but Draisaitl added another goal in the final seconds, not only his 21st goal of the season, but also the Oilers’ final goal in their hometown.
6 assist games
On January 30, 2021, Draisaitl played the best game of his career, dishing out 6 assists in an 8-5 victory over the Ottawa Senators. On this big night, he became the first Oiler since Gretzky in 1987 to dish out six assists in a game, and the first NHL player to do so since Eric Lindros in 1997.
Even more impressive is that Draisaitl is just one assist shy of tying the NHL’s all-time record of seven assists. Gretzky broke the record three times, and Billy Taylor Sr. once. This shows that while Draisaitl is known to many as a goalscorer due to his 50-goal season in 2018-19, he is also an excellent playmaker.
Memorial Cup MVP
Just months after being drafted, Draisaitl was taken off the Oilers roster from training camp and remained on their roster for their first 37 games of the season. However, since the team was making no progress and he only scored 7 points, management decided to send him to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.
The move proved to be very beneficial for Draisaitl, who dominated in the World Hockey League and led the Rockets to the league title. Unfortunately, they lost to the Oshawa Generals in the Memorial Cup finals, but despite the loss, Draisaitl was still voted MVP of the tournament. The confidence he gained from that season paid off in a big way, and he was even better the next season with the Oilers, scoring 51 points in 72 games.
vs. Oilers vs. hometown team
Before the start of the 2018-19 season, the Oilers played an exhibition game against the Cologne Sharks in Germany. For Draisaitl, playing in his country was cool enough in itself, but even better was the fact that it was against his hometown team, which his father was coaching at the time.
Draisaitl was the Oilers’ starter and the crowd gave him a standing ovation when his name was announced. It was clear at the time how much it meant to him and he expressed that in his post-match comments. The game itself was exciting, with the Oilers winning 4-3 in overtime.
Showing hockey to new people
Hockey is a sport that continues to grow around the world, and people like Draisaitl are a big reason why. There is no doubt that all the young kids playing hockey in Germany these days idolize the Oilers forward and hope to one day make it to the NHL like him. They have a lot to watch going forward, as he has several great seasons ahead of him.
