Oilers' Leon Draisaitl Makes History in Germany's Win Over France

Leon Draisaitl etched his name in German Olympic hockey history, recording the first three-point game by a German NHL player at the Winter Games during a dominant 5-1 victory over France in the qualifying playoff round at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The Edmonton Oilers captain finished with a goal and two assists over a team-high 24:07 of ice time, powering Germany into the quarterfinals, where they will face Slovakia. Draisaitl connected with fellow Oiler Josh Samanski for a goal on the power play, then Samanski returned the favor later in the game as the two combined for five points.

Germany wasted no time taking control of the game. Draisaitl opened the scoring just 3:40 into the first period when Samanski found him with a backhand pass on the power play, allowing the superstar to unleash one of his trademark one-timers from the right side past French goaltender Julian Junca.

The goal set the tone for a dominant German performance that saw them score three times in the opening period and finish 2-for-3 on the power play. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare got France on the board in the middle frame, but Germany never allowed the game to become competitive.

Samanski recorded his first goal of the tournament at 7:01 of the third period to push Germany's lead to 4-1, capping his breakout performance with a goal and an assist. The 23-year-old rookie praised his linemate's vision and playmaking ability.

"Everybody knows how good a passer, not even a passer, how good a player he is," Samanski said. "I'm trying to find an area where he can lay into it. It's crazy what he sees on the ice."

Eyes on Slovakia

Draisaitl deflected questions about his individual legacy, keeping the focus on Germany's medal chase. When asked what a medal would mean for his career, the response was characteristically team-first.

"I'm thinking about wanting to compete for a medal with our group," Draisaitl said.

QUARTERFINAL BOUND‼️🇩🇪#Oilers forwards Draisaitl & Samanski both score & combine for five points as Germany beats France 5-1 to advance to play Slovakia tomorrow for a berth in the semifinals.#MilanoCortina2026 | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/wc2womKCUC
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 17, 2026

"If the legacy filters into that, then sure, I'll take it. But this is a special time. We've got a great opportunity," he continued.

Germany will have less than 24 hours to prepare for Slovakia in their first Olympic quarterfinal since a 5-0 loss to Team USA at Salt Lake City in 2002.

The matchup marks the first meeting between the two nations in the quarterfinals or later at an Olympics with NHL players. Draisaitl acknowledged the challenge ahead after the victory, noting Slovakia finished first in their group for a reason.

Germany won both previous Olympic meetings with Slovakia, but the knockout game carries significantly higher stakes as the tournament gets smaller and the competition gets tougher.

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