Oilers, Bruins to play 2027 Global Series Germany

MUNICH -- Leon Draisaitl is beyond excited that the NHL will play regular-season games in Germany during each of the next three years, especially when he makes a trip with his Edmonton Oilers in the 2027-28 season.

The NHL and NHLPA announced on Thursday that Draisaitl's team, the Edmonton Oilers, will play in Cologne, his home city, as part of the 2027 NHL Global Series Germany. The Boston Bruins, spearheaded by German native JJ Peterka, will play in Munich.

More details, including ticketing and opponents, will be announced this season.

No matter the final details, the fact that the NHL is making a bigger foray into the German market has Draisaitl over the moon. He was part of a press conference Thursday at the training ground of FC Bayern Munich that heralded a unique partnership between one of world soccer's most iconic clubs and the NHL to grow hockey in Germany. Along with Draisaitl at the press conference were Peterka, Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies from Canada, NHL Commissioner Bill Daly and Rouven Kasper, FC Bayern Board Member and CMO. 

The 2027 Global Series Germany games are a major part of that growth initiative.  

"This is something very special; I believe we have a lot of potential in Germany," Draisaitl said in a translation of his remarks in German by the Bayern Munich website. "People here love ice hockey. 

"The fact that the NHL and FC Bayern are establishing this cooperation sends a huge message for Germany and the NHL. I really appreciate this and am very proud of it. I'm just so excited to play a regular NHL game here in front of my family and friends."

It's the first time Munich and Cologne will host NHL regular-season games. 

The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators will play the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany in Dusseldorf this season, playing regular-season games on Dec. 18 and 20. 

The announcement of the 2027 games furthers the NHL's and NHLPA's long-term international growth strategy in Germany, which includes investment in 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. 

"We have a commitment for a third year of bringing games here, so we'll see how it all plays out,'' said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. "We're very optimistic we'll have significant success as we're doing in Dusseldorf, where we have two games on Dec. 18 and 20 of this year. So we think the sky's the limit in terms of the opportunity."

In fact, Daly hinted that an outdoor game in Germany could one day be a possibility, perhaps at the home of FC Bayern, the ultra-modern Allianz Arena.

"I don't have anything to announce today, but certainly that's on our radar screen as a possibility for the future," Daly said.

The near-term, however, is charted and the games in Munich and Cologne will be massive events here.

"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 2027 NHL Global Series Germany games will showcase the strength of German-developed NHL talent, led by Draisaitl, who is the 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 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.

"There is a full-out effort to connect with the German fan base," Daly said.

Top photo: JJ Peterka of the Boston Bruins, Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers show off each other's jerseys Thursday in Munich.