German signs most lucrative contract in NHL history, will earn one million euros per month

(Patria) - German hockey star Leon Draisaitl has signed the most lucrative contract in the history of the North American NHL league, reports Sportske novosti.

The German has pledged loyalty to his current club, the Edmonton Oilers, for the next eight years, and will earn an average of a record 14 million dollars or 12.7 million euros annually, his team announced on social media.

Regarding the total value, Russian Aleksander Ovechkin, who signed a 13-year contract in 2008, still holds the largest contract in history.

Draisaitl, however, has signed the most lucrative contract on average per season, and before him, Auston Matthews received the most money, exactly 12 million euros per season.

The 28-year-old NHL star, who has played for the Oilers for the last ten seasons, had a valid contract until the end of the 2024/25 season, and after signing the new one, he committed to playing in Edmonton for an additional seven years. During that time, he will receive 101.4 million euros.

Born in Cologne, Draisaitl is considered one of the best hockey players in the world, and in Edmonton, along with captain Connor McDavid, he forms one of the most dangerous offensive duos.

So far, he has scored 347 goals and recorded 503 assists for a total of 850 points in 719 NHL games.

Last season, he was close to his first title, but in the finals, the Florida Panthers won 4-3, preventing the Oilers from completing a comeback after trailing 0-3 in wins.

The new NHL season begins on the night of October 4-5.