The long-awaited first game of the 2026 Olympic tournament for both Team Germany and Team Denmark has arrived, and many top NHL players got to hit the ice in their first Olympic competition. Germany was able to get off to a hot start and was able to maintain the lead throughout the game.
Denmark played a strong game, and after earning their spot in the qualification tournament, they are showing they have a lot of the right pieces to be competitive in the tournament.
Germany’s game was headlined by their superstars, and if they are going to make a run in this tournament, that is how they are going to have to play. Here are some of the key takeaways from Germany’s 3-1 win over Team Denmark.
Germany’s Draisaitl Gets Off to Hot Start
Just 23 seconds into his Olympic career, Leon Draisaitl got Team Germany on the board. Draisaitl is the undisputed greatest German-born hockey player of all time already, and it was not surprising to see him coming out of the gates hot.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
Through 845 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl has amassed 1,036 points. He had represented Germany in the World Junior Championship in 2013 and 2014, and had 12 points in as many games.
Draisaitl has shown to be an emotional player at times, and with winning on the line, Team Germany can be sure to be getting him at his best. All game, the German team was able to build off the momentum from Draisaitl’s opening goal. He continued to play a very strong game, getting physical with the Danish players, forechecking hard, and generating lots of offense.
Draisaitl had a great chance at a second goal on a breakaway late in the third period, but was turned aside by Frederik Andersen.
Draisaitl has been so close to winning so many times that he is hungry, and it is showing.
Danish Late Push Not Strong Enough
Team Denmark had strong pressure late in the game, though they were unable to capitalize. In the dying minutes, they were able to land multiple shots, but Phillip Grubauer stood strong in the net.
The Danes were able to put up 38 shots and had some great pressure throughout the game, but a large number of their shots were from the perimeter and would be classified as low-danger shots. All game, they did a good job of puck retrieval and battles along the boards, and their ability to do that was on full display in the final three minutes.
Every time the puck was loose, they would have three players swallowing up the ice, leaving no room for the German defenders to act. It led to some good chances, and more play with a sense of urgency like that is what will win them games, but it wasn’t enough to get past Germany.
Stutzle Pots 2 Goals, Thrives in Olympic Debut
Along with Draisaitl, many had their eyes on Tim Stutzle coming into this game as well. There are certainly others, but those are the top two forwards everyone was watching for. Just over four minutes into the second period, Stutzle was able to give the Germans a 2-1 lead, and just over six minutes later, he was able to give them some insurance by getting another goal.
Late in the second period, Stutzle took a shot off the hand and looked to be in some significant discomfort. He did return for the third period, and in just under 17 minutes of ice time, Stutzle looked like one of the bright spots of the team.
Like Draisaitl, Stutzle played in the World Juniors for two years, posting 15 points in 10 total games. Stutzle has been having a fantastic season with the Ottawa Senators this season, and he is looking to build on that here, on the biggest stage, at the Olympics.
Team Germany is back in action on Feb. 14 against Team Latvia, while Team Denmark plays Team USA the same day.
