The 25-year-old Cologne from the Edmonton Oilers, who was elected first German in the 2019/2020 season to the most valuable player of the best ice hockey league in the world, belongs to the NHL professionals Philipp Grubauer (29 / Seattle Kraken) and Moritz Seider (20 / Detroit Red Wings) Fest to the German Olympic Squad for Winter Games in China next to February. Through her nomination, Deb-Sport Director Christian Künast and national coach Toni Söderholm informed the three topathlets, as the German Hockey Bund (DEB) announced on Friday.
All participating Olympic teams were asked by the Ice Hockey World Association IIHF, NHL and the player s union to report three NHL players who are intended to be safe in Beijing. On October 15, all Olympic participants should also submit a Long List with all further eligible players at the IIHF. The final cadres will be announced in January 2022. For striker Draisaitl, goalkeeper Grubauer and defender silks it would be the Olympic premiere. In the German profit of the Olympic Silver Medal 2018 in Pyeongchang missed Draisaitl and Grubauer.
According to previously five spectacular Olympic tournaments with the NHL stars, the best league of the world had not been able to participate in a participation because the South Korean market was too insignificant. But now the NHL stars can be there again. This is the biggest thing you can achieve as a sportsman. This is true for us NHL players just as for other athletes, there is no one else, everyone wants to Olympia, said exceptional facility Draisaitl in September after the consent of NHL.