When was the first regular season NHL game played in Europe? Thats correct, the start of this past season. Will it happen again? Of course! The NHL is trying to sell the game abroad in much the same way it is trying to sell the game in non-traditional markets here in the U.S. The start of the upcoming NHL season will be held in two European cities featuring four teams. The ultimate goal of the NHL must be becoming the first international sport that is not for pansies (read: soccer). How else can it combat the ratings war? Its painfully obvious that the interest in the sport is lacking compared to other North American sports.
The NHL can pretend all they want but they know that the competition from the KHL is healthy for the game and is also good publicity. The whole situation with the Russians
is eerily similar to the WHA; rival leagues that are trying to steal each others high-profile players with huge contracts they likely can't afford. What eventually happened? The WHA folded and some of the teams were bought and eventually became part of the NHL's
expansion. Call me crazy but I see the NHL trying to swallow up/compress the Russian league and become the International Hockey League. There would be tow conferences, eastern and western hemispheres, and would shrink down both leagues to 20 teams a piece. Most likely its the souther teams that would lose out but its becoming more and more apparent that attempts to sell the game down there just are not hitting the mark, even with the addition of scantily clad ice girls. Each team in the league would play every other team both home and away making for some big road trips and some interesting stories.
I can dream can't I?
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