North American ice hockey's NHL and its players' association (NHLPA) have unveiled major plans to grow the league's presence and exposure in Germany, starting with taking two regular-season games there later this year.
The pair of fixtures, between the Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks, will be held in Düsseldorf on December 18 and 20, and represent the first time the NHL takes multiple regular-season fixtures to Germany in the same campaign.
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Indeed, the NHL and NHLPA are committing to take regular-season action to Germany for the next three years.
Only one regular-season game has taken place there so far, back in 2011 (in which the Buffalo Sabres won 4-2 against the Los Angeles Kings).
Tim Stutzle, a German international, currently plays for the Senators.
In total, 22 NHL games have taken place in Germany – 12 of these have been pre-season affairs, while nine have fallen fully in the offseason.
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By GlobalDataNo games from the 32-team league were held in that market last year, with the most recent occasion being 2024.
Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL, has commented: "By further investing in one of Europe’s most dynamic sports markets – both through the execution of major events and the development and implementation of grassroots initiatives – we intend to strengthen our presence and build stronger connections with German fans, partners and local communities.
"In prioritizing our efforts here, we hope to accelerate hockey’s growth across the region, creating meaningful impact from the ground up."
This coming weekend sees Germany's national Hockey Day take place, with the NHL's Stanley Cup trophy set to make an appearance, while the NHL Global Fan Tour program is also visiting the country.
This season, the NHL has a range of broadcast partners in Germany, including pay-TV heavyweight Sky Deutschland, ESPN, and DAZN (for the distribution of its NHL.TV streaming service).
Frank Lutz, chair of the German Ice Hockey Federation's board, added: "We are fully committed to strengthening this partnership going forward, from high-profile events to community programs and development opportunities for young players. Our shared ambition is to inspire fans across the country and ensure that hockey in Germany continues to flourish."
This expansion comes with one of Germany's best-ever players, Leon Draisaitl, currently on the books of the Edmonton Oilers.
In terms of overall NHL growth across Europe, the league opened an office in Switzerland in late 2025 to expand its footprint across the continent.
It also operates its NHL Street Hockey school-based initiative across multiple European markets, such as Germany, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and the UK.
In January, Polish public-service broadcaster TVP picked up NHL rights for the remainder of 2025-26 (with the regular-season concluding in April, and the post-season playoffs and Stanley Cup Final series running until June).
Select matches from the regular season are now being broadcast on the linear TVP Sport channel and across the broadcaster’s digital platforms.
