Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl remains certerpiece of Germany’s Olympic roster for Milan as they chase gold medal

Germany officially announced its complete roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday. The 25-player squad features an impressive collection of NHL talent as the league returns to Olympic competition for the first time since 2014.

Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, and Moritz Seider headline what many believe could be the strongest German Olympic roster in history. The tournament runs from February 11 to 22 at Milano Cortina in Italy.

Germany’s lineup is full of NHL superstars, with Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl being their biggest name

The forward group features 14 players anchored by Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl. The NHL's highest-paid player at $14 million annually brings elite offensive firepower after recording his 11th consecutive 50-point season.

Ottawa Senators center Stutzle joins Draisaitl as Germany's other offensive cornerstone. The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the league's brightest young stars with 359 points through 399 career NHL games.

Buffalo Sabres winger John Peterka provides another dangerous scoring threat. The young forward has developed into a legitimate top-six option during his NHL career.

Minnesota Wild center Nico Sturm brings a championship pedigree as a two-time Stanley Cup winner with Colorado and Florida. Vancouver Canucks forward Lukas Reichel rounds out the notable NHL contingent up front.

The Germans also selected Alexander Ehl, Dominik Kahun, Marc Michaelis, Tobias Rieder, Joshua Samanski, Justin Schutz, Wojciech Stachowiak, Nico Sturm, Frederik Tiffels, and Parker Tuomie to complete the forward group.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider leads an eight-player blue line. The former Calder Trophy winner served as Germany's captain at the 2025 World Championship and will play a massive role in Italy. He even went as far as to say that this is the best German team ever.

"This is probably the best German team who ever stepped on the ice together," Seider said in August when discussing the Olympic roster. Germany selected Leon Gawanke, Korbinian Geibel, Lukas Kälble, Jonas Müller, Moritz Müller, Fabio Wagner, and Kai Wissmann to round out the defensive group.

The mix of experience and youth provides depth behind Seider's leadership. The Germans also bring considerable star power inside the crease, as former Vezina Trophy winner and current goalie for the Kraken, Philipp Grubauer join hands with Maxmillian Franzreb and Mathias Niederberger to complete Germany’s goaltending tandem.

With a roster that includes elite NHL talent like Draisaitl, Stutzle, and Seider, and players who have made their mark in Europe, Germany presents a legitimate threat to other nations like the USA and Canada, which boast superstar squads of their own.

With the national side competing in Group C at the Olympics alongside Latvia, Denmark, and the United States, Team USA remains its biggest competition in the prelims. The nation remains excited as February 5 brings their quest for gold to its start.

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