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Baden-Baden (AP) - Leon Draisaitl now knows what he is training for.
Almost at the same time as his remarkable freestyle for "Sportsman of the Year", the North American professional ice hockey league NHL confirmed that it wanted to start the season on January 13th.
In just over three weeks, the exceptional Edmonton Oilers striker can build on his golden season.
As the top scorer and most valuable player of the past NHL season joked, "I feel good" about his form after the month-long break.
The 25-year-old, for whom his dog Bowie has become a training partner in his own four walls over the past few months, was connected to the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden via video switch from Edmonton.
He sat there in a dark suit jacket and white shirt, smiling happily, proudly, mischievously - and modestly.
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«We have so many brilliant athletes in Germany.
It's something very special, ”said the international.
By a clear margin, the choice of 960 sports journalists fell on him.
At the end of a year when the Olympic Games were postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis and many other major events were canceled.
At the end of a year in which Draisaitl made several entries in German ice hockey history.
The Cologne resident was the first German professional to complete the regular season in the world's best ice hockey league as a top scorer.
He was the first German to be elected MVP, the most valuable NHL player.
In addition to the trade journalists, the NHL players also voted him their best in the league.
When he was confronted with being the best in the world, Draisaitl fended off this evasively.
The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) was delighted with its election as “Sportsman of the Year” and its appearance on ZDF.
“It's great that Leon's excellent performances in the NHL get the final point they deserve this year,” said national coach Toni Söderholm.
DEB President Franz Reindl emphasized the "historical dimension": "Leon made history, that makes us proud."
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In 2018, the national ice hockey team was named “Team of the Year” after having won Olympic silver.
Since 1947, never before has an ice hockey player won the “Sportsman of the Year” election.
In any case, this award as a team athlete was previously only granted to basketball icon Dirk Nowitzki when he won the championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
No soccer star has ever been chosen.
Despite its exceptional position in North America, Draisaitl is still relatively unknown in Germany.
The hype surrounding him is much greater in the ice hockey country Canada.
This also raises the question of whether Draisaitl would actually have been voted “Sportsman of the Year” if there had been Olympic champions from Tokyo to celebrate?
Was Draisaitl also lucky because this year many competitors couldn't cause a sensation at outstanding major events?
Draisaitl shouldn't care, he wants to cause a sensation in the league again.
Around three months later than usual, the new season is to begin in a different format, the Canadian teams are only supposed to compete among themselves due to travel restrictions.
The main round was shortened to 56 game days.
Draisaitl's real goal is the playoffs and especially winning the Stanley Cup.
Should he actually succeed in this title, he might again have the chance to come out on top in the “Sportsman of the Year” election.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201221-99-772803 / 3
Results of the past years
PM before the 2020 gala
Candidates
Profile Leon Draisaitl
NHL announcement, English