Leon Draisaitl was present at Paris Olympics to support Germany's men's hockey team and Niklas Wellen (Credit: Leon Draisaitl on IG)

Leon Draisaitl shouts out German field hockey legend Niklas Wellen after securing Silver medal in Paris Olympics

Modified Aug 08, 2024 21:53 GMT

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl attended the Paris Olympics to support his friend, Niklas Wellen. Draisaitl shared Instagram Stories cheering for Germany's men's field hockey team.

Draisaitl shared a picture of the hockey field along with the stands saying,

"Come on boys!!!".

He also tagged Wellen and mentioned,

"Push yourself machine."

He also posted a photo of Wellen’s #9 jersey with,

"Proud of you legend @niklaswellen."

Draisaitl's Instagram story about Wellen’s #9 jersey

Germany won the silver medal after losing to the Netherlands 2-1 in a penalty shootout. The match included delays and a postgame scuffle, but despite the loss, Draisaitl’s support for Wellen was clear.

Paris Olympics Men's hockey finals that Leon Draisaitl attended

The Netherlands won gold in men’s field hockey at the Paris Olympics, beating Germany 2-1 in a shootout. The game had a brief delay when a sprinkler turned on unexpectedly. Afterward, a scuffle broke out between Niklas Wellen and Duco Telgenkamp during the celebrations.

Thierry Brinkman scored first for the Netherlands, but Thies Prinz equalized for Germany. In the shootout, Telgenkamp’s goal secured the win. This is the Netherlands’ first Olympic gold in men’s field hockey since 2000.

Leon Draisaitl's contract situation with Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are negotiating a new contract. Draisaitl is in the last year of his eight-year, $68 million deal. General manager Stan Bowman wants to keep him with the team for the long term.

"Leon is a super-talented player, a huge part of what we’re doing, and he has been and will be for some time and that hasn’t changed at all,” Bowman said (via NHL.com ) “I think it’s really hard to find stars in the NHL, so when you have them, the goal is to keep them."

Draisaitl has been a key player, scoring 106 points in the regular season and 31 points in the playoffs last year. Bowman, who previously managed the Chicago Blackhawks, aims to secure both Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid. McDavid’s current contract expires in two years.

“The same thing with Connor," Bowman added. "Those guys are a huge reason the team’s had a successful run so far, and they will be a big part of the future too.”

The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Florida Panthers last season. Bowman understands the priority for this season. So, he is currently focused on keeping the Oilers' roster strong.