According to a report from Mexican news agency NOTIMEX (which was brought to light by the good folks over at Puck Daddy), the NHL may hold a couple of preseason games in Mexico in the near future. The report states that two games might be held as early as before the 2016-17 regular season and would be held in the Palacio de los Deportes which is located in Mexico City.
Though details are limited, the report mentions that officials in Mexico City have met with NHL officials on two occasions regarding the two proposed preseason games.
Puck Daddy mentions that the most popular teams in Mexico are the San Jose Sharks, LA Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, suggesting that it’s possible these teams could be involved during a preseason contest in Mexico. It might make more sense to involve the Dallas Stars in some capacity, but that’s educated guessing.
Does it make sense for the NHL to bring a couple preseason games to Mexico? Considering the league’s push to expand the sport outside of Canada and the United States, it makes a lot of sense. The league may have issues accessing Mexico should Donald Trump get the wall he is dreaming of, but it’s a logical move to try and grow the sport down south with a low-risk, high-reward test. There really aren’t too many negatives about hosting a couple exhibitions in Mexico.
It remains to be seen whether or not this report will be confirmed, but there seems to be enough smoke to suggest there might be some fire.
