When will the NHL add a euro division ?

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RLC

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Aug 7, 2004
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I realy hope the NHL does this one day.
Now this is an NHL division, with NHL rinks subject to NHL rules all the way. A 6 team division playing all regular games ( like our original 6 ) within thier division, then the division winner comming over for the playoffs.
and entering the playoffs at thier appropriate points level.
They could play out the city that is next to get an NHL spot. Testing the market. Huge upside in viewership for the NHL, huge upside for advertizers to reach the euro market.

How would like to see this ?
 

coolguy21415

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Jul 17, 2003
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Why wouldn't the Euro leagues do this themselves and create a Champions league of sorts, with a structure similar to soccer, which I think is better than the NHL structure.

There's a league for every country! Why not consolidate? It would generate more revenue and interest, as well as keep euro players in Europe.
 

Pepper

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Aug 30, 2004
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NHL Europe won't happen in the next 15 years, if ever. You heard it here first.
 

futurcorerock

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Nov 15, 2003
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NHL Europe won't happen for a good 20 years.

The only way to succeed here is the NHL needs to create buzz for the league through TV. In europe they only get something like one game a week at best and their interest is dominated by local teams.

However, the assertion that teams in the US would play Euro teams is perposterous. You'd have the Euroleagues playing one another then maybe breaking for a week to do a cross-conference series of games, then back to interconference play until the SCF's which would be NA vs Euro in the finals.

Kinda like Baseball. Only cool.
 

Drrocket9

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Sep 29, 2004
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never going to happen

i was reading an old paperback copy of Hockey Stars of 1972, and in there was a paragraph or two describing how the NHL had long-range plans to start a Euro division with like 6 teams.

so this has been in the works for over 30 years........and will never happen.
 

Montrealer

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Dec 12, 2002
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Chambly QC
It will happen........ eventually.

It's a race between the NHL and the NBA for the cachet of being the first Trans-Atlantic professional league - even if they are in different Euro markets it's appealing to both leagues for obvious reasons.

There's too much potential money in it for it not to happen.
 

ClosetOilersFan

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Aug 4, 2005
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Toronto, ON
Surely it's the NBA's place to do it. The NHL can barely handle it's business within North America. Their last attempt at rapid expansion failed miserably - within the same country. They still need to revive the market after the strike. This talk of Euro expansion for the NHL is absurd and crazy, it should be the last thing on anyone's mind.

Now the NBA is a success, making incredible revenues. A venture such as this could be a smart move for them.

One of the main things that kills businesses is expanding without a solid base!
 

ProctorSilex

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Hopefully never.

Unless it's like the NFL Europe league that really has no bearing on what goes on with the regular NFL.
 

Riddarn

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Aug 2, 2003
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I hope it never happens. And besides, european fans are not very america friendly and pretty loyal to their old teams. Any long term strategy to capture the European market better have a solid financial ground to stand on and be willing to take the huge losses the first 10-15 years until the European fans have grown accustomed to the idea.
 

RLC

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Aug 7, 2004
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People have not read my post properly.

A 6 team division that stays in europe, plays all thier games in europe and the winner enters the playoff and play out of IE Hamilton until they are out. No 82 games of travel to north america at all.
The division winner just comes over for the playoff and plays all the playoff in north america.
 

KRM

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Jun 9, 2005
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Gothenburg
futurcorerock said:
NHL Europe won't happen for a good 20 years.

The only way to succeed here is the NHL needs to create buzz for the league through TV. In europe they only get something like one game a week at best and their interest is dominated by local teams.

1 game a week? No, no, no. I'm not sure how many games Canal+ broadcasted 03/04 but it sure as hell was more then one game a week.
 

f1nn

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Jan 12, 2004
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wouldn't it be easier to make like a European Conference... and they play only teams form their conference for regular season and then the playoffs instead of east and west is NA and Europe...
 

swflyers8*

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Never going to happen. Can't show the games because of the time difference. No player will want to go back and forth, that takes a toll on a person, let alone a player. Nice idea, but it will never happen.
 

A Good Flying Bird*

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Montrealer said:
It will happen........ eventually.

It's a race between the NHL and the NBA for the cachet of being the first Trans-Atlantic professional league - even if they are in different Euro markets it's appealing to both leagues for obvious reasons.

There's too much potential money in it for it not to happen.

It's not a question of talent or interest.
It's a question of money ...
Few teams in Europe can afford NHL stars ... How are you going to convince Joe T to play in Europe when he could stay home and make big money.
 

SoundsGood

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Mar 29, 2002
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The first thing the NHL will do is make sure the game is back on track. Once they get passed the next CBA and if all goes well till then and during the negociations, they could start thinking about it.

With the new type of schedual we will be getting this year, it is much easyer to plan out a 1 trip/year type of thing. There would need to be ajustments for the playoffs, however.

I don't think it is impossible but I predict it wont happen in the next 6-8 years.
 

Michael Morbid

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Jun 11, 2004
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The winners of all the big euro leagues should play each other in a playoff format, then the winner gets to be Euro champion and they play stanley cup winner (aka north american champion) it'd make sense to me.
 

Teus

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Krm500 said:
1 game a week? No, no, no. I'm not sure how many games Canal+ broadcasted 03/04 but it sure as hell was more then one game a week.
2-3 IIRC and their plan was to show one game per night last season, but then the lockout came...
 

octopi

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Dec 29, 2004
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John Vanbiesbrouck said:
The winners of all the big euro leagues should play each other in a playoff format, then the winner gets to be Euro champion and they play stanley cup winner (aka north american champion) it'd make sense to me.

That wouldn't be a half bad idea, except it makes the Stanley Cup no longer the pinnacle of hockey achievement. Somehow, that seems wrong.
 

kruezer

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Apr 21, 2002
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North Bay
John Vanbiesbrouck said:
The winners of all the big euro leagues should play each other in a playoff format, then the winner gets to be Euro champion and they play stanley cup winner (aka north american champion) it'd make sense to me.
Well, the Euro club championship does exist.

http://www.iihf.com/hockey/tournam/tournaments.htm#

Check out the bottom of the page under 'IIHF Club Championships' and click on 'European Champions Cup'
 

ProctorSilex

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I wouldn't mind seeing an mid season *all star game* where the Stanley Cup Champions play the IIHF european champions in a one game winner take all thing.

Much better than that god awful North America vs. the World format they had.
 

coolguy21415

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Jul 17, 2003
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octopi said:
That wouldn't be a half bad idea, except it makes the Stanley Cup no longer the pinnacle of hockey achievement. Somehow, that seems wrong.

Sure it would. It would be the pinnacle of hockey achievement that matters. There's no market in NA to watch Euro clubs (even if they play against the Cup champions). As I stated earlier, I'd like to see a Champions league-type thing to happen in Europe. (If anyone is unfamiliar with the concept, I can explain..)

Whoever decided that 6 teams should play 2 games each, and the winner of each division play each other? There really must not be much demand for this kind of competition. A 4 day tournament to decide a continental victor.. it's just poor.
 
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