Draisaitl was the first German to be voted “Most Valuable Player” in the league.
His eyes light up when he talks about it a month later in his hometown of Cologne.
He is back in ice rink two in the Deutz district, the training facility of his youth club Kölner Haie.
"Leon caused constant stress for us," says his former youth coach: "I was always happy when he went off the ice."