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Playing In Europe Not A Great Idea
by Paul on 10/01/09 at 02:17 PM ET
Comments (6)
from Chris McCosky of the Detroit News,
The worse thing about starting the season over here is that so few in North America know or even care about it.
Wings goalie Chris Osgood said he got a call from his friend and Lions center Dominic Raiola on Wednesday and Raiola, a big sports fan, didn’t even know the Wings were in Sweden.
This trip hasn’t generated any buzz about the start of a new season where it matters most—in the NHL’s primary markets.
Here’s what the NHL should do instead. At the start of each season, pick a destination city in North America—Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Toronto, Vancouver, wherever—and invite the final four teams from the previous year and stage an NHL showcase. Each team gets two regular-season games and you can pair them off any way you want—East runners-up vs. West runners-up, rematch of the conference championships, whatever.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
The games in Europe aren’t suppose to generate interest in North America. They are suppose to generate interest in EUROPE! Hence why they are going there.
It has nothing to do with North America.
Posted by Colton from Calgary on 10/01/09 at 02:58 PM ET
It wouldn’t feel right if some idiot didn’t take a shot at the NHL on Opening Nite…..Geez. The games are supposed to appeal to EUROPEANS..that is why they are played there. And by the way…someone told me the Patriots are playing in London this year. I had no clue about that and I don’t think the NFL cares what I think
Posted by kevin from boston on 10/01/09 at 03:14 PM ET
Who on earth would go watch some random European team play in America against an NHL team? Absolutely nobody.
Posted by harpake on 10/01/09 at 03:17 PM ET
The games in Europe aren’t suppose to generate interest in North America. They are suppose to generate interest in EUROPE! Hence why they are going there.
Absolutely right! Who would think that having NHL teams playing overseas (with the games either not televised or televised on Friday afternoon in North America) would be for the benefit of the primary NHL markets?
Posted by Garth on 10/01/09 at 03:21 PM ET
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I don’t think it would matter if it was in the u.s or not, the start of the season is bad timing. You have baseball playoffs, college and pro football. I don’t get all worked up into a frenzy when the season starts. I get a little bit excited but thats all. And I’m a die hard wings fan. There is just so much other stuff going on right now. I think its great for the wings to play in sweden. With all the swedes on the team and for a guy like lidstrom its great.
Posted by ME on 10/01/09 at 02:30 PM ET