JJ Peterka’s Olympic Dream Becomes Reality, and Germany’s Ready to Make Noise
Utah Mammoth forward JJ Peterka has always pictured himself on the Olympic stage - not just the games, but the full experience. The jersey.
The village. The energy of the world’s biggest winter sports event.
And now, that vision is becoming real.
“Putting the jersey on, seeing all the atmosphere,” Peterka said with a grin. “Also watching other sports in the village. And I feel (the) experience and all that Olympic (feeling).”
This February, Peterka will represent Germany at the Winter Olympics for the first time, a major milestone in his career. And while the spotlight of the Games is new for him, the team around him won’t be.
Germany’s roster is stacked with players who’ve logged serious minutes together - whether it’s through international tournaments or the DEL, Germany’s top professional league. That kind of familiarity can be a huge advantage when time to build chemistry is limited.
“I think you can always see at World Championships how easy it is to get chemistry with linemates with new teammates,” Peterka said. “It’s super exciting. I’m super excited to see all the guys that I haven’t played with in a long time and I can’t wait.”
But there’s one teammate in particular Peterka’s looking forward to skating alongside - and it’s a name that carries serious weight in the hockey world: Leon Draisaitl.
“Leon Draisaitl,” Peterka said without hesitation. “Only played against him. We somehow always missed each other at the World Championships so (I’m) super excited to play with him for once.”
Draisaitl, the Edmonton Oilers star and one of the NHL’s elite talents, brings both firepower and leadership to the German squad. For a young forward like Peterka, sharing the ice with a player of that caliber is more than just exciting - it’s a chance to elevate his own game in the biggest moments.
Germany enters the Olympic tournament without the same hype as some of the traditional powerhouses, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence. Peterka made it clear: this team isn’t here to play it safe.
“We’re not afraid to make plays,” he said. “We don’t want to hide anywhere.
We want to play our game. We want to play with pace.
We want to make it a tough game for the big nations.”
That’s the mindset of a team that knows who they are - skilled, fast, and unafraid to go toe-to-toe with hockey’s giants. And with Peterka’s dream now a reality, he’s not just soaking in the Olympic moment - he’s ready to make the most of it.