Josh Samanski

Joshua Samanski (born March 22, 2002) is a German professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) with the Straubing Tigers.

Early life Samanski was born on March 22, 2002 in Erding, Germany. He also holds Canadian citizenship through his father, John, who himself is a former professional hockey player. He has six siblings, all of whom are involved in sports.

Playing career

Junior Growing up, Samanski played with Jungadler Mannheim, a team in the Schüler-BL. His best season with them saw him record 106 points in 36 games.

He played his first game in the NHL on January 26, 2026. Samanski recorded his first NHL point, an assist, in his third game, a 7–3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. After five games with the Oilers, in which Samanski recorded two assists, he was sent down to the Bakersfield Condors, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Oilers. After the Olympic break, Samanski would be called back up to the Oilers, where he would remain for the rest of the season. He was credited with his first NHL goal during a March 21 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after a pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand to Emil Lilleberg deflected past Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Samanski made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on April 22, 2026, against the Anaheim Ducks, in which he recorded one goal in a 6-4 loss. The Oilers would end up losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2026 Playoffs, 4-2.

International play Samanski has represented Germany internationally. He played for the German junior team in the World Junior Championships in 2021 and 2022, serving as an alternate captain in the latter tournament.

Samanski played for Germany at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. He was also named to the national roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. During the Olympics, Samanski recorded a goal and an assist in five games.

On May 6, 2026, Samanski was added to Team Germany's roster for the 2026 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2018–19 Brantford 99ers OJHL 54 13 12 35 32 — — — — — 2019–20 Owen Sound Attack OHL 54 4 16 20 20 — — — — — 2020–21 Ravensburg Towerstars DEL2 41 4 18 22 18 7 5 5 10 0 2021–22 Straubing Tigers DEL 42 7 1 8 14 4 0 0 0 02021–22EV Landshut DEL2 7 2 2 4 0 — — — — — 2022–23 Straubing Tigers DEL 48 9 9 18 23 7 1 0 1 22023–24 Straubing Tigers DEL 51 10 17 27 36 12 2 4 6 18 2024–25 Straubing Tigers DEL 52 14 26 40 29 7 2 2 4 2 2025–26 Bakersfield Condors AHL 45 8 23 31 40 — — — — — 2025–26 Edmonton Oilers NHL 24 2 2 4 6 5 1 1 2 4 DEL totals 183 40 53 93 102 30 5 6 11 22 NHL totals 24 2 2 4 6 5 1 1 2 4

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2021 Germany WJC 6th 2 0 0 0 0 2022 Germany WJC 6th 4 1 2 3 0 2025 Germany WC 9th 7 2 3 5 6 2026 Germany OG 6th 5 1 1 2 2 2026 Germany WC 10th 7 2 5 7 0 Junior totals 6 1 2 3 0 Senior totals 19 5 9 14 8