The Chicago Blackhawks will play a pair of games against the Ottawa Senators at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Dec. 18 and Dec. 20 as part of the 2026 NHL Global Series. It will be the second- and third-ever NHL games to be held in Germany.
This will be the Hawks’ third trip overseas in franchise history, the first coming in 2009 when 20-year-old Patrick Kane and company split a series with the Florida Panthers at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki.
That result wasn’t repeated a decade later when the Hawks opened their season versus the Philadelphia Flyers in Prague in 2019, a 4-3 loss.
The Hawks will have another star forward flying to Europe, this time in Connor Bedard. It’ll be the first of many for the likely future team captain.
“When we found out, the whole team was pretty fired up,” Bedard said. “It’s a great opportunity for us, spreading (the game) to other parts of the world and showing our skill set and what we do over here.”
The first NHL game in Germany took place in 2011, when the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 in Berlin.
“Our deepened commitment to Germany as an important hockey country marks a critical next chapter for the NHL,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “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.”
It’s a step forward in growing the league, especially with vast German talent in the NHL today. That includes Senators forward and Viersen native Tim Stützle, who leads the team with 30 goals and 70 points this season.
“I think German hockey has been growing a lot, and there are a lot of great players from there,” Stützle said. “Now that (the NHL) have been committing to playing games there and supporting kids as well, it’s huge. Hopefully it gets even more people to play hockey in Germany.”
