Back home in Germany for the summer, Leon Draisaitl recently appeared at a promotional event to donate equipment to a youth club in his hometown of Cologne. According to a press release from the city’s professional hockey club, Kölner Haie [https://www.haie.de/news/leon-draisaitl-und-nhlpa-goals-dreams-spenden-29-saetze-eishockeyausruestung-an-die-junghaie/] (Cologne Sharks), Draisaitl will donate 29 complete sets of new equipment, both this season and next, to the Junghaie (Young Sharks) club, through the NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams program. The number 29 was obviously chosen to match Draisaitl’s uniform number with the Edmonton Oilers [http://thn.com/edmonton]. “It’s a great feeling to return to where it all began,” Draisaitl was quoted. “Without the support I received as a young player in Cologne, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I hope this NHLPA Goals & Dreams equipment donation to the Junghaie helps inspire the next generation to play the game and build a strong future for our sport.” Cologne is one of Germany’s hockey hotbeds. In addition to Draisaitl, the city is also home to German hockey legend Uwe Krupp. At the professional level, Kölner Haie has broken the record for average attendance by a European club in each of the past two seasons. [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/klner-haie-shatters-own-european-single-season-attendance-record] Kölner Haie Shatters Own European Single-Season Attendance Record [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FTHNINTL%2Fcontent-images%2F7b2a726d-00e7-44ba-bee4-a3b8d07c0821.jpeg?alt=media] Kölner Haie Shatters Own European Single-Season Attendance Record Kölner Haie will break its own single-season attendance record for a European club, according to a press release from the German club on Friday. [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/klner-haie-shatters-own-european-single-season-attendance-record] Draisaitl was born in Cologne in 1995 while his father, Peter Draisaitl, played professionally for Kölner Haie. The young Draisaitl played youth hockey in Cologne before moving to Mannheim at age 13. He would then head to the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL [http://thn.com/whl] at age 16 and was drafted third overall by the Oilers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft at age 18. “Leon is a Cologne boy,” said Rodion Pauels, sports director of the Junghaie. “We have, of course, followed his fantastic development closely over the years and are very grateful to him and the NHLPA for this generous donation to our youth department. The children had a wonderful day that they certainly won’t soon forget.” Photo: Kölner Haie 2026 Olympics will see best German team ever [https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/MjA4MzU2NjQxMTc3ODcxODEz/usatsi_15511381.jpg] 2026 Olympics will see best German team ever The Germans have had some very good results internationally in recent years, including a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and another silver at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. They’ve had some very good young talent to work with but they haven’t had a chance to put all of their best players together on one team since the 2010 Winter Olympics. They’ve improved a lot since then. In fact, it’s no stretch to say the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature the greatest German ice hockey team ever assembled. [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/2026-olympics-will-see-best-german-team-ever]
