Nac Mac Feegle
wee & free
- Jun 10, 2011
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While that would be really cool to see, it's almost a certainty that some of those games would fail to turn a profit financially and the owners would sour on the venture.
Say they went to 6 countries around the world over a 2 week stretch with 12 teams going. Personally I don't think there are 12 teams in the league that are marketable enough in certain countries. The NHL themselves don't think there are that many teams that are marketable in the US, as we've seen time and time again with Chicago playing in what seems like every winter classic.
Sweden and Finland are easy enough because they have stars in the league and hockey is a part of sports culture, but there are many more obstacles in other countries. I thought the NHL did a decent job with the preseason games in China with LA and Vancouver, but as they were preseason games, both teams loaded up with fringe veterans to fill the quota laid out by the NHL, partly to avoid injuries to key players. It was also to test the waters again in Asia because the NHL's first venture to Asia was a disaster (it took them 17 years after playing games in Saitama, Japan to return to Asia).
The NHL hasn't been to London since 93 (they had Boston go to Belfast in Ireland in 2010). Australia would be an interesting case as Nathan Walker is in the league now. However, it all again leads back to there would be backlash by certain teams that would say the venture is a strain on an already difficult season and the financial incentive is not large enough.
Maybe so, but as a 1-time thing (or maybe even once a decade), it would be a nifty experiment.
As it stands right now, Ottawa and Colorado are at a severe disadvantage compared to the rest of the league regarding scheduling this year. That has the potential to cost us a Cup.