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Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl was on the sour end of taunts hurled his way by an all-too-familiar foe at the 2026 Olympics.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl was on the sour end of a 5-1 pounding on Sunday evening. His German squad dropped a crucial game against an all-too-familiar foe in Matthew Tkachuk and Team USA.
Draisaitl and Tkachuk have quite a story between them. The two star forwards have squared off in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. The Florida Panthers have gotten the best of the Oilers on both occasions.
But meeting in Milano-Cortina was a new venue and under different circumstances, but leading to similar outcomes.
Tkachuk took advantage of the opportunity to heckle Draisaitl, taunting him in between whistles. But in one situation, a hot-mic moment led to Tkachuk’s taunts becoming apparent.
“Always the bridesmaid, eh, Leon?”
Tkachuk heckled the Oilers’ star. While not precisely the most painful trash talk fans will ever hear, it’s the sort of commentary that gets under players’ skins. In this case, Tkachuk alluded to the times his teams have left Draisaitl and the Oilers at the altar of NHL greatness.
Now, the opportunity was to leave Team Germany holding the bouquet at the Olympics. Team USA’s victory on the strength of two goals by Auston Matthews sealed the United States’ claim on Group C.
“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”
Tkachuk had better hope he doesn’t have to eat those words at some point down the line.
Team USA Dominated Draisaitl and Germany
Despite Team Germany’s best efforts to hang tight, the game was never close. The Americans dominated Draisaitl’s side from start to finish. While the German squad showed plenty of moxie, the star-studded American side was too much for the Germans to handle.
Team USA got timely goals throughout the game, taking a 5-0 lead in the third period on Matthews’ second of the night.
Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators broke the shutout with a late goal. Meanwhile, Draisaitl could not make it onto the scoresheet. The American side did well to keep the former Hart Trophy winner off the board.
It was the Jack Eichel line with the Tkachuk brothers that held Draisaitl in check. Eichel was a force throughout the game, playing more of a matchup role than he typically would.
As for the Tkachuk brothers, they were up to their usual agitator roles. They engaged in the type of extracurricular activity designed to take opponents off their game. Judging by the final score, it seems like the tactic worked.
Team USA Clinches Bye to Quarterfinals
The biggest part of winning Group C was clinching the all-important bye into the quarterfinals. The extra day or so of rest will help the American squad regroup. That situation will prove hugely important.
In contrast, Leon Draisaitl and Germany will live to fight another day. They’ll get a chance to earn their pass to the quarterfinals by playing a winner-take-all game in the playoff round. They’ll face France next Tuesday. The winner of that game will face Slovakia in the quarterfinal round.
Who knows, there might still be a path for Draisaitl and Tkachuk to meet one more time at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Anything is possible once the tournament shifts to win-or-go-home matchups.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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