More details, including ticketing and opponents, will be announced during the 2026-27 season.
"There is no better way to experience the speed, skill and excitement of NHL hockey than live and in person," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. "The National Hockey League is thrilled to bring our first-ever regular-season games to the passionate fans in Munich and Cologne. These events represent an important step in our commitment to grow the game in Germany. By bringing more NHL games to one of Europe's most dynamic hockey markets, we hope to continue to deepen engagement amongst our fans, partners and local communities, while at the same time creating a significant opportunity to grow the game throughout the country."
It's the first time Munich and Cologne will host NHL regular-season games. The announcement of the games furthers the NHL's and NHLPA's long-term international growth strategy in Germany, which includes strategic investment in growing the game through grassroots activations, content and other fan engagement initiatives, and forging new, long-term business partnerships. The NHL and NHLPA's plans include bringing more live, regular season games to Germany.
"The NHL Global Series games in 2027 bring two of the NHL's best players in Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka back to play in front of their hometown fans," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. "Germany has a proud hockey tradition, and these NHL Global Series games are part of the League and NHLPA's ongoing commitment to build meaningful connections between NHL players and the German marketplace."
The games in Munich and Cologne represent another key milestone in the League's expanding global footprint. The games will mark the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh NHL regular-season games played in Germany, with the first dating back to Oct. 8, 2011, when the Buffalo Sabres faced the Los Angeles Kings at O2 World in Berlin. The NHL and NHLPA will bring NHL regular-season games to Germany for at least the next three seasons, starting with the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany on December 18 and 20, 2026 at PSD Bank Dome, featuring the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks.
The 2027 NHL Global Series Germany games will showcase the strength of German-developed NHL talent, led by Draisaitl, who is the first and only German player with at least 1,000 career NHL points. In his 12 NHL seasons, the 30-year-old has 1,053 points (434 goals, 619 assists) in 855 regular-season games. In 2019-20 he won the Hart Trophy voted as the League's most valuable player, and the Ted Lindsay Award, voted annually to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA, and the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the player with the most points in a single season. Draisaitl had 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) that season. In 2024-25 he won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the League's leading goal-scorer with 52.
Last season, he was captain for Team Germany in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, helping his country to a sixth-place finish, its best ever at the Olympics.
In addition, Draisaitl and NHLPA Goals & Dreams have partnered to donate 58 complete sets of hockey equipment to Kölner Haie youth teams.
Peterka enters his first season with the Bruins after having 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) for the Utah Mammoth last season. He was traded to Boston by Utah for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft on June 26.
The 24-year-old has 197 points (92 goals, 105 assists) in 320 regular-season games for the Buffalo Sabres and Mammoth. He is already among the top 10 German scorers in NHL history, and played with Draisaitl on Team Germany in the 2026 Olympics.
The NHL continues to demonstrate its commitment to the long-term growth of hockey in Germany through grassroots programs and community engagement initiatives. Central to these efforts is the expansion of NHL Street Hockey in regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia, helping create a lasting legacy and broaden access to the sport in communities hosting NHL games, alongside initiatives such as Hockey Day in Germany and the NHL Global Fan Tour. Looking ahead, the League will expand its school-based initiatives, youth development programs and fan engagement activities, strengthening participation and helping foster a new generation of players, families and fans throughout the country.
