Leon Draisaitl revealed who his favorite player was when he was growing up.
Leon Draisaitl revealed who his favorite player was when he was growing up.
EDMONTON -- Game seven is here.
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All of the preparation for the Edmonton Oilers has led to this Stanley Cup Final. All of the heartbreak over the last 18 years for the Oilers fans has culminated in heightened anticipation for puck drop.
It's Cup or bust.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid both spoke to the media on Sunday after practice. They were asked about who they pretended to be when they were playing as a kid, imagining they were in a Game seven for the Stanley Cup Final.
Draisaitl's first response was notably humorous, "Leon in Germany, Cologne." Everyone (including McDavid) was laughing after that response.
After a few moments of more thought, he revealed which player he looked up to when he was growing up. "Pavel Datsyuk was my favorite player growing up."
It makes sense that a European player would have a European as his favorite player. They have different playing styles, as Draisaitl is a powerful player while Datsyuk was more speedy and quick.
Datsyuk was a tremendous player who played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings. In 953 regular season games he collected 918 points. During the playoffs he mustered 49 points in 66 postseason games.
The sixth round draft pick won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2002 and 2008. Datsyuk was also a decorated player, with multiple Lady Byng and Frank J. Selke Trophies awarded to him.
Then Draisaitl talked about how he envisioned those pretend moments as a young child, "in those moments you are just yourself and you are just dreaming of being in those situations. There's such a movie playing in your head, [when] you are playing in the street or wherever you are. It's special to be in that situation right now and get a chance to be a part of it."
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Tonight, Draisaitl gets an opportunity to shine. Tonight he and McDavid have their first shot at a Stanley Cup.
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