Leon Draisaitl Named Captain and Flagbearer for Team Germany at 2026 Winter Olympics
Leon Draisaitl’s legacy as one of hockey’s premier talents just added another chapter - and this one comes with a flag in hand.
On Monday, Team Germany officially named the Edmonton Oilers star as captain of its men’s hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. As if that weren’t enough, Draisaitl will also carry the German flag during the opening ceremony - a rare and deeply personal honor for any athlete, let alone one who’s already rewriting the record books.
“It means a lot to me,” Draisaitl said. “We have a lot of great athletes in our country.
There’s many picks that could have got it, and I don’t take it lightly. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
And why wouldn’t he? Draisaitl, who turned 30 in October, became the first German player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point milestone earlier this season - a feat that cements his place not just in German hockey lore, but in the global game.
With 1,036 career points and counting, he’s more than doubled the output of the next closest German-born player, Marco Sturm, who tallied 487 over his NHL career. That’s not just dominance - that’s redefining what’s possible for German hockey.
Alongside Connor McDavid - his Oilers teammate and fellow Olympic captain, representing Canada - Draisaitl has helped usher in the most successful era in Edmonton since the dynasty days of the '80s. The Oilers have made back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, falling short both times to the Florida Panthers, but the message is clear: this team is built to contend, and Draisaitl is at the heart of it.
Germany’s Olympic leadership group is rounded out by two rising stars in the NHL: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle. Both are not just contributors - they’re cornerstone players for their respective franchises.
Seider is enjoying a breakout campaign in Detroit and is firmly in the Norris Trophy conversation as the league’s top defenseman. He’s been instrumental in the Red Wings’ resurgence and their push toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Stützle, meanwhile, is tracking toward his second point-per-game season, with 61 points (28 goals, 33 assists) in 57 games so far. At just 23 years old, he’s blossoming into a franchise player in Ottawa - a dynamic forward with the skill and speed to change a game in a single shift.
Together, Draisaitl, Seider, and Stützle form the most talented trio Germany has ever iced at the Olympic level. This isn’t just a group of NHL players wearing their country’s colors - this is a legitimate core that can go toe-to-toe with the sport’s traditional powerhouses.
Germany has had its moments on the Olympic stage - a bronze in 1932 and 1976, and a silver in 2018 during the NHL’s absence - but never with this kind of firepower. When NHL players have been part of the Games, Germany’s best finish was 8th in 2002. Now, with Draisaitl leading the charge, expectations are shifting.
This is a new era for German hockey. And with No. 29 wearing the “C” and carrying the flag, it’s one that’s ready to make some serious noise in Milano-Cortina.