Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers to play NHL games in Germany in 2027

Associated Press

Aug 20, 2026

FILE - Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, left, controls the puck as Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke defends during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Boston Bruins’ John-Jason Peterka, from left, FC Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, and Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl, pose with jerseys during a joint press conference by FC Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Munich. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)

Rouven Kasper, left, chief marketing and sales officer for FC Bayern Munich AG, and Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL, pose during a joint press conference by FC Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Munich. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)

Boston Bruins’ John-Jason Peterka, speaks during a joint press conference by FC Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Munich. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl, speaks during a joint press conference by FC Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Munich. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers will each play two regular-season games in Germany next year as part of the NHL and NHLPA’s efforts to grow hockey in the country, the league announced Thursday.

The Bruins are to play two games in Munich, while the Oilers will play two matches in Leon Draisaitl’s native city of Cologne during the 2027-28 NHL season. The opponents have yet to be determined.

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“These events represent an important step in our commitment to grow the game in Germany. By bringing more NHL games to one of Europe’s most dynamic hockey markets, we hope to continue to deepen engagement amongst our fans, partners and local communities, while at the same time creating a significant opportunity to grow the game throughout the country,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said.

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The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators were already slated to play two games in Düsseldorf in December. Those Global Series games are the second and third regular-season games the league has staged in Germany after the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings played in Berlin in 2011.

More are to follow with the NHL and NHLPA committed to bringing regular-season games to Germany for at least the next three seasons.

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