The National Hockey League might be bringing regular season action back to Europe.
The league regularly scheduled regular-season openers in Europe between the early to late 2000’s, but after the 2011 NHL Premiere, the series went on hiatus and no games have been scheduled overseas. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com reports the league has made an effort towards getting games scheduled overseas in 2017-2018.
“The NHL is hoping to bring back regular-season games in Europe as early as next season, a source told ESPN.com. The league is looking at potentially having two regular-season games in Europe. It’s not a done deal and we’re already getting late into the calendar, so perhaps it won’t get done on time, but there’s still hope for next season. As well, word is the NHL is also looking at staging preseason games in China, which I would read as a reminder of the NHL’s interest in making sure it has its players participating in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.”
The incentive is huge for the NHL to play at least a couple games overseas next season. Growing the game internationally by showcasing multiple teams helps expand the sport. As LeBrun mentions, holding preseason games in China would also help the leagues chances at getting into Beijing. It’s a win-win should the deal get done.
[ESPN]
