Leon Draisaitl is one of the best players in the NHL. He's a perennial Hart Trophy candidate, a scoring machine, and Connor McDavid's partner in crime on one of the most dangerous duos in hockey. But before all that, he was just a kid hanging around the rink, watching his dad play.
Peter Draisaitl had a long career playing professional hockey in Germany's top league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). After his playing days, he moved into management and coaching. Now he's the Sports Manager and head coach of Krefeld Pinguine in the DEL2, Germany's second-tier league. Hockey isn't just in the Draisaitl family—it is the Draisaitl family.
Leon grew up completely immersed in that world, and he'll tell you it shaped everything about who he is as a player.
"I was a rink rat. I was always a big fan of my dad's teams, and I was always around the teams, and always wanted to be at the rink. So very grateful for the insight that I've gotten from my dad, and the hockey knowledge that he has instilled into me. It is a huge reason why I am where I am today," Leon said.
Being a rink rat as a kid is one thing. Lots of hockey players grow up around the game. But Leon had something different—he had a father who'd lived the professional life, who understood the grind, the sacrifices, the mentality you need to succeed at the highest levels. That's a completely different kind of education.
"It's just little things that I was very fortunate to learn from him. Things that maybe a lot of other hockey dads out there wouldn't know because they've never played the game. My dad was fortunate enough to play a long time and the mentality towards the game and how it's done, done properly, I was very fortunate that he was able to teach me that," Leon explained.
Those little things add up. How to prepare. How to approach each game. How to handle it when things aren't going well. How to carry yourself as a professional. Most kids don't get that kind of firsthand knowledge from someone who's actually been through it. Leon did, and it gave him a huge advantage.
The similarities between father and son go way beyond just knowledge and mentality.
"I'm very much wired the same way as my dad. I'm early to the rink, I like taking my time with things, I'm very finicky with certain things around the dressing room and my gear. So I get that from him—he taught me those little things that matter. He's very similar player, too," Leon said.
That shows how deeply Peter's influence runs through Leon's entire approach to the game. The preparation rituals, the equipment preferences, the way he goes about his business—it all traces back to watching his father operate as a professional.
But even with all that knowledge, all that preparation, all that guidance, Leon's path to the NHL wasn't smooth. He still had to grind through it. He still had serious doubts.
"There's a lot of nights where I didn't know if I could ever play in this league, because this league is really hard. When you're 18, it's really, really hard, and the game is different from juniors, and you're not really ready. You're not as strong as you need to be, not as fast as you need to be," Leon said. So there's a lot of nights where I came home and I was like, 'I don't know if I can play in this league.' So a lot of work went in.
"(I'm) proud of what I've accomplished so far. I put in the work, and it helped me immensely."
That's pretty raw honesty. This is a guy who's now a superstar, who makes $14 million a year, admitting that at 18 he genuinely wondered if he even belonged. The jump from junior to the NHL is brutal. Suddenly, you're playing against grown men who've been professionals for years. You're not the best player on the ice anymore. You're not dominating every shift. You're just trying to hang on.
Leon hung on. Then he became one of the best in the world. And a lot of that comes back to what his father taught him—not just skills, but the mentality you need to push through those tough nights and keep going.
Peter Draisaitl never played in the NHL, but his impact on the league is massive. His son is one of the best players in the world, and that didn't happen by accident. It happened because Leon grew up around a professional who understood the game at a deep level and passed all of that down.
Now Peter's coaching and managing back in Germany, continuing his hockey life in a different role. Leon's dominating in the NHL, carrying forward everything his father taught him. Two generations, same passion, same commitment.
Hockey runs in the Draisaitl family. Always has. Always will.
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