In 2018, Germany surprised the hockey world by advancing to the gold medal game of the Winter Olympics. Though they took home silver, it surely seemed like the nation had arrived as a hockey power.
That was not the case at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, though. Germany finished 10th and only managed six goals in four games. Clearly, a major step back.
Now, Germany has the opportunity to prove their doubters wrong, and will have the help of NHLers in doing so. Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, Tim Stutzle, Lukas Reichel, Philipp Grubauer, and Nico Sturm were the initial six players selected.
Who else could join them in Italy? Let’s take an early look at how Germany’s roster could shape up for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Other 2026 Olympic Roster Projections:
Germany’s Projected Roster for the 2026 Olympics
| LW | C | RW |
| JJ Peterka | Leon Draisaitl | Tim Stutzle |
| Wojciech Stachowiak | Lukas Reichel | Dominik Kahun |
| Josh Samanski | Nico Sturm | Leo Pfoderl |
| Frederick Tiffels | Tobias Rieder | Yasin Ehliz |
| Justin Schutz | Julian Lutz |
| LD | RD | G |
| Jonas Muller | Moritz Seider | Philipp Grubauer |
| Maksymilian Szuber | Leon Gawanke | Mathias Niederberger |
| Kai Wissmann | Fabio Wagner | Arno Tiefensee |
| Korbinian Geibel | Leon Huttl |
On the surface, Germany’s roster appears to be top heavy. No one will doubt the abilities of Draisaitl, Seider, and Stutzle. And it’s entirely possible we’re mentioning J.J. Peterka in that same category by February.
There is some underrated talent beyond those four, though. Tobias Rieder, Yasin Ehliz, Dominik Kahun, Leo Pfoderl, Frederick Tiffels, and Jonas Muller are all Olympic veterans. All but Rieder skated in both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Suffice to say, Germany will have scoring depth. A top line of Draisaitl, Stutzle, and Peterka will certainly be dangerous. But beyond them, the likes of Reichel, Pfoderl, Kahun, Wojciech Stachowiak, and Josh Samanski can provide secondary scoring. Sturm and Rieder can chip in offensively as well.
On defense, expect to see a lot of Muller and Seider. Seider, in particular, will likely be on the ice for nearly half the game – he’ll be a mainstay on the power play, penalty kill, and key five-on-five situations.
And speaking of the power play, Germany’s PP1 is for real. Seider up top with Stutzle and Draisaitl on the flanks, plus Peterka and possibly Pfoderl or Reichel down low. That’s a lot of firepower.
Back to Germany’s blue line, Maksymilian Szuber and Leon Gawanke round out their top four. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kai Wissmann step into a bigger role as well.
Grubauer, unsurprisingly, should see a bulk of the starts. When he’s on, he’s a top-notch goaltender. A redemption story could be a nice arc for Grubauer after losing the starting role with the Seattle Kraken. And if he falters, Mathias Niederberger will be waiting in the wings to step in.
Final Word
In all likelihood, Germany will finish somewhere between their last two placements – silver and 10th-place. That said, they do have enough top-level talent and Olympic experience to make some noise. They’ll likely be a feared matchup in the quarterfinals and could sneak into the semi-finals.
Final Cuts: Dominik Bokk, Kristian Reichel, Maxim Schafer, Veit Oswald, David Lewandowski, Matthias Plachta, Marcel Noebels, Patrick Hager, Marc Michaelis, Alexander Ehl, Marcel Brandt, Lukas Kalbie, Eric Mik.