NHL turnaround ‘means everything to me’
German superstar raves about the Olympic decision
February 3, 2024, 1:52 p.m
For many athletes, the Olympic Games are the greatest thing ever. But the NHL’s ice hockey professionals mostly have to watch as the league refuses to allow the players to take part. Things will be different in the future, which delights German superstar Leon Draisaitl.
Ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl has welcomed the return of the North American professional league NHL to the Olympic stage. “The NHL’s decision to release the players for the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games means everything to me,” said the Edmonton Oilers forward: “For me personally, next to the Stanley Cup, it is the thing I covet most.”
The league, the players’ association NHLPA and the world association IIHF had agreed on the players’ participation in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Games. This was announced on Friday at a press conference before the NHL’s All-Star Weekend. Accordingly, the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF have outlined the most important principles related to player participation. The details are expected to be finalized in the coming months.
Participation in the Olympics for NHL professionals is rare
This means that national coach Harold Kreis would also have the German NHL stars Draisaitl, Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider available for the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The host for the 2030 Games has not yet been finally decided; France is the only candidate in so-called “targeted dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out to take part in the last few years, but now I’m even more pleased that it will be possible at the next two Olympic Games,” said Draisaitl: “I’m really looking forward to it.” The Cologne native was eliminated at the start of the All-Star Weekend in the skills competition in the first round. His club colleague Connor McDavid won the competition, which, among other things, determined the fastest skater, the hardest shot and the best penalty shooter, and collected the prize money of a million dollars.
It will be the first time since 2014 and only the sixth time overall that NHL players have competed in the Olympics. This had previously only been the case in Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake City in 2002, Turin in 2006, Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014. The NHL decided not to take part in the Asian Games in 2018 and 2022.