Leon Draisaitl, NHLPA donate 29 sets of hockey equipment to his junior hockey team in Cologne, Germany

German hockey star Leon Draisaitl is giving back to his roots by donating 58 sets of hockey equipment to his former junior team, the Kölner Haie "Junghaie", through the NHL Players' Association's Goals & Dreams program.

The donation, made jointly by Draisaitl and the NHLPA, will provide a full set of gear for 29 youth players on the Junghaie for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, helping equip the next generation of German hockey talent.

Draisaitl, who plays for the Edmonton Oilers, developed his love for hockey playing in the Kölner Haie youth program as a teenager before making it to the NHL.

"I learned how to play here. I learned how to skate in this club and you know there's a lot of people that helped me get to where I am today and you know I never want to forget where I come from," Leon Draisaitl said.

"I think that's something that I've always lived by my whole life. And, you know, means a lot for me to give something back to people and the organization that certainly, you know, was out for my back."

Leon Draisaitl was in his hometown of Cologne, where he spent over six years developing his game, including time with the U16 squad.

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NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh on donation with Leon Draisaitl

The Junghaie, the junior hockey program of the Kölner Haie, boasts a membership of around 300 players aged 4 to 20.

This collaboration between Draisaitl and the NHLPA Goals & Dreams initiative will directly benefit 29 young hockey players in Cologne over the next two seasons. NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said:

“Bringing together Leon Draisaitl with NHLPA Goals & Dreams to reach 29 young hockey players in his hometown club of Cologne, this season and next, will help introduce more German youth to the greatest aspects of our game, including building community, skills and confidence."(NHLPA.com)

The NHLPA Goals & Dreams program continues to make hockey more accessible globally by providing equipment and resources to those in need.

This donation effort to lower youth hockey costs continues through sponsorships, donations and public funding. Draisaitl and NHLPA Goals & Dreams donated 58 full gear sets over two seasons, which will be reused yearly by new Junghaie players aged 5–7 to help make the sport more accessible.