Canadian Soccer Star Has High Praise for Leon Draisaitl, Oilers

It was announced on Thursday that Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers, as well as JJ Peterka and the Boston Bruins, will take part in the NHL Global Series Germany during the 2027-28 season.

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The announcement was made at the FC Bayern Munich training ground and included an appearance from Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies.

Davies is a known Oilers fan who spent his childhood and youth years in Edmonton, and when asked about Draisaitl, he had nothing but praise for what he does, expecting big things from him and the team in the upcoming season.

Davies said:

“We are both elite athletes; we both play at a high level, we know that each time you step on the pitch or the ice, you have to perform and give everything to win for your team and make your team proud.

I’m excited to see what the season brings,” he said. “In sports you always have ups and downs, but these guys, they go out there each week and do what they need to do. I mean, it is a long season, but I’m sure this season, they have something to prove because last year was not what we expected as a fan. But, at the end of the day, we know these guys are going to come out and do their job this season,”

The 30-year-old Draisaitl is coming off a 97-point (35 goals, 62 assists) 2025-26 regular season before posting 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in their six-game first-round series loss to Anaheim.

It’s awesome to see the fandom and mutual respect between Davies and Draisaitl, and it will be particularly special for the latter to get to play two real NHL games in his home country.

Further details on who Draisaitl and the Oilers will play and when will be announced during the 2026-27 season.

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