If you’re hoping to get in contact with Leon Draisaitl at 2 a.m., there’s a good chance, like most of us, the 24-year old will be sound asleep. 

But he made an exception on Sept. 6, as he sat awake in his home in Cologne, Germany, waiting to see if he had been named the winner of the most prestigious individual honour in the world of men’s hockey. 

He did, and more. In addition to a Hart Trophy, Draisaitl won the Ted Lindsay and Art Ross trophies following a 43-goal, 110-point campaign. Remember, those totals happened in only 71 games due to the league’s shutdown over COVID-19.

“It’s special. In a way, I’m obviously proud of myself and the hard work that I’ve been putting in over the last years that’s paying off,” Draisaitl told Yahoo Sports.

His accomplishments this past season are the latest culmination of a career that began with a slight setback. High hopes were thrown onto Draisaitl, like every player in his position, after he was selected third overall in the 2014 NHL Draft behind defenceman Aaron Ekblad and forward Sam Reinhart. 

Perhaps he wouldn’t be a star right away, but he’d eventually fit right into a stacked young core featuring Taylor Hall, Nail Yakupov, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that had many fans salivating. 

Unlike his trophy haul in September, success would not come overnight for Draisaitl. 

He was returned to the Western Hockey League after 37 games in his rookie season where he scored just two goals to go with seven assists. Following a Memorial Cup run that saw him named tournament MVP in a losing effort with the Kelowna Rockets, he began the 2015-16 campaign with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors for more seasoning.

“When you’re 18, 19 years old all you want to do is play in the NHL,” Draisaitl said. “That’s your goal. That’s your dream. You think you’re ready.” 

While there may have been some internal frustrations during that time, Draisaitl sees the benefit of being held back for development’s sake.

“A lot of times those steps back, let’s say going back to the AHL, going back to junior. In the long run, they’re so good for you and that was the case with me,” Draisaitl said.

“I thought I was ready. I wasn’t. I didn’t have an impact on games and didn’t have my confidence. I’d go back down and you’d build your confidence back up. Sometimes a step back, in the long run, brings you a lot further than maybe trying to just grind it out in that moment.”

Even if he only scored once during his six-game stay in Bakersfield, it was enough for the Oilers to bring him back.

“I did ask him, ‘what was your first thought going into your first game (called up from the AHL),’” said Mike Liut, Draisaitl’s agent. “He said, ‘I never want to see the American League again.’” 

And he hasn’t looked back since. His rising point totals are an obvious sign of progression, but taking inspiration from one of his hockey idols, Detroit Red Wings legend Pavel Datsyuk, has helped him as well. The two met through former Oilers assistant coach and current Bakersfield Condors head coach Jay Woodcroft. 

“I think over the years we’ve seen his faceoff numbers really pick up,” Woodcroft said. “Defensively, when he’s tracking back in his own end he can be a man on a mission just like Pavel was.”

Draisaitl has since progressed from budding star centre to superstar accomplice to Connor McDavid as the two hope to restore glory to Edmonton for the first time since 1990. The goal was not attained this past year despite the team’s unique home ice advantage in the Edmonton bubble, amidst a backdrop of rising coronavirus concern and protests against systemic racism and police brutality.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" content="Ahead of their series opener against Chicago, the Oilers were part of a pregame ceremony that saw Minnesota Wild defenceman Matt Dumba deliver a powerful speech and take a knee during the U.S. national anthem with two Black players — Chicago goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse — by his side.” data-reactid=”40″ type=”text”>Ahead of their series opener against Chicago, the Oilers were part of a pregame ceremony that saw Minnesota Wild defenceman Matt Dumba deliver a powerful speech and take a knee during the U.S. national anthem with two Black players — Chicago goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse — by his side.