Leon Draisaitl was Germany's captain at the Olympics. © APA/afp / PIERO CRUCIATTI

Germany's Draisaitl: "Olympics? Not entirely understandable"

Germany's captain Leon Draisaitl explains the disappointing Olympic performance of the national ice hockey team with a lack of a concept.

February 27, 2026

From: dpa/sn

"At this level, it's too difficult if everyone isn't on the same page and doesn't know how we want to play," said the Edmonton Oilers NHL player after his team's 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. "I think we took too long to really figure out what we are as a team and how we want to play."

When asked who had to accept this criticism, the Cologne player replied after a game in which he contributed four goals: "Everyone. It's about the players; the coaches could certainly have done more. But ultimately, it's us players who are on the sidelines, and we as a team have to deliver our best performance on the ice." He added that the professionals hadn't managed to do that, and "that's on us."

Back in the NHL: The Oilers defeated the LA Kings 8-1. © APA / CAMERON BARTLETT

Germany, the favored team, failed to advance past Slovakia in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games in Milan, missing out on a medal.

Expectations before the Olympics "not entirely understandable"

Draisaitl criticized the high expectations surrounding the Olympic tournament, which had been fueled by the participation of NHL players. "Some things were said that aren't entirely understandable. We'd never played together in that lineup before, and we had six NHL players, so it's not like we had a team full of superstars. That's sometimes how it came across," said the 30-year-old.

He admitted, however, that there were also high expectations within the team. "We were a very, very good team with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, we weren't able to realize that potential."