The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators are scheduled to play in Dusseldorf as the NHL aims to play regular-season games in Germany for at least the next three seasons.
The NHL is heading to Germany late in 2026.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators are scheduled to play each other in Dusseldorf on Dec. 18 and 20 of this year. The league and NHL Players' Association announced the "2026 NHL Global Series Germany" at a press conference in Dusseldorf on Friday with city mayor Stephan Keller.
The Global Series matchups are part of a joint long-term international growth strategy between the NHL and NHLPA to deepen their presence in Germany.
"Having previously played in Germany and now getting to return in my current role is a full circle moment for me," said Rob Zepp, the NHLPA's senior director of international strategy and growth. "We have strategic plans to grow and build upon the existing hockey ecosystem through grassroots initiatives, creative collaborations, business opportunities and building stronger relationships between NHL players and German fans."
Their joint plan also includes playing regular-season games in Germany for at least the next three seasons.
This showdown between the Senators and Blackhawks is scheduled to have the second and third NHL regular-season games ever played in Germany. The first came 15 years earlier, on Oct. 8, 2011, between the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings at O2 World in Berlin.
The NHL has also played 14 pre-season games in Germany, with all but one of them involving an NHL team facing a German club squad. The last one came in September 2024 between the Sabres and a Deutsche Eishockey League team, Munchen EHC Red Bull.
December's games will mark 36 years since the NHL last played games in Dusseldorf. The St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Dusseldorf EG played a round-robin of exhibitions in September 1990.
The Senators and Blackhawks won't be in the same rink as those teams were, however. They'll play in PSD Bank Dome, which seats more than 14,000 spectators for hockey and is the home rink for Dusseldorf EG in Germany's second-tier hockey league.
"The announcement of the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany is the next milestone for Dusseldorf as a hockey location," said mayor Keller.
Dusseldorf is also scheduled to host the Deutschland Cup in November and co-host the men's World Championship with Mannheim, Germany, in 2027.
Tim Stutzle recorded four goals and six points in five games for Team Germany at the Olympics in Italy. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)German hockey has grown a lot, with great players already coming from there, according to Senators center Tim Stutzle.
"Now that they (the NHL) have been committing to playing games there and supporting kids as well, it’s huge," Stutzle, a Viersen, Germany, native, said in the news release. "Hopefully it gets even more people to play hockey in Germany. It's really exciting news."
Stutzle, 24, leads the Senators in scoring this season with 30 goals and 70 points in 64 games. He ranks second in league scoring among German players, trailing Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, who has 95 points in 63 games.
The Senators are tied for the most NHL games played outside of North America, all of which came in Stockholm, Sweden. They last beat the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24, when Stutzle scored a baseball-style overtime-winner against the latter. Ottawa also has the most wins outside North America, with five.
Chicago, meanwhile, is 1-1-1 in regular-season games outside North America. They most recently played a pre-season game against Berlin Eisbaren (Polar Bears) on Sept. 29, 2019, before heading to Prague, Czechia, for a regular-season contest against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Hockey Day In Germany Begins
Friday's announcement comes as Hockey Day In Germany celebrations are underway for the first time.
"The March 13-14 celebration will engage new and existing fans through a series of hockey-centric activities, including interactive experiences at the NHL Global Fan Tour, an appearance by the Stanley Cup, e‑gaming competitions and a live viewing event for the NHL Saturday presented by Fastenal broadcast featuring the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators," the NHL said in its news release.
The league said it will implement its NHL Street Hockey school-based initiative in Germany as well. Local clubs and Germany's national hockey association will help organize and execute these structured lessons so that interested students know where to go for additional entry-level hockey programs.
The NHL opened its first European office in Zurich, Switzerland, last summer.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.