The Utah Mammoth announced today that forward JJ Peterka has been selected by the German Ice Hockey Federation to represent Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6-22, 2026.
Peterka, 23, has recorded 15-14-29 and 18 penalty minutes (PIM) in 43 games during his first season with the Mammoth. The 6-foot, 189-pound forward ranks tied for ninth in goals among all NHL skaters aged 23 or younger.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (34th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Peterka has tallied 179 points (82g, 97a) and 106 PIM in 281 career NHL games with the Sabres and Mammoth. He ranks sixth in goals and seventh in points among all players from his draft class, and his career point total trails only Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Ottawa’s Tim Stützle for the highest of any active German forward.
A native of Munich, Peterka is set to represent Germany at the Olympics for the first time. He has previously skated for his home country at numerous international tournaments, including two IIHF World Junior Championships (2020 and 2021) and three IIHF World Championships (2021, 2023, and 2024). Peterka served as an alternate captain for World Juniors in 2021, and he also earned Best Forward honors at Worlds in 2023 with 6-6-12 in 10 games. Germany won the silver medal at the tournament, marking their first World Championship medal finish in 70 years.