Overview
- Draisaitl donated 29 complete equipment sets to his former club Kölner Haie’s U9 teams, matching his Edmonton Oilers jersey number, through the NHLPA’s Goals and Dreams initiative.
- The 29-year-old returned to his hometown three weeks after losing a second straight Stanley Cup final to the Florida Panthers.
- He called the visit to his childhood rink “very emotional” and spoke of giving back to the club that launched his professional journey.
- Draisaitl reaffirmed his long-standing goal to boost ice hockey’s profile in Germany, where the sport vies with football for young talent and fan support.
- With a USD 14 million annual salary starting in September, he plans to use his influence to invest in youth development and grow the game domestically.