A panoramic view during the 2022 NHL Global Series Challenge between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Martin Ross | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
If all goes according to plan for the National Hockey League, its popularity will continue to grow well beyond the borders of the countries where its teams are based.
The NHL believes that through events in and outside the United States and Canada it can capitalize on hockey’s global popularity and grow its standing in countries where the league has yet to gain a foothold.
So far, most efforts have been focused on Europe, specifically countries like Sweden and Finland, where hockey is already a popular sport. The first two regular-season games of the 2024-25 season are held in Prague, followed by two games in this year’s NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland, in November.
NHL vice president Bill Daly said all four games were sold out.
“We think we’re in a unique position in hockey, in the NHL, because hockey is an international sport and we have a long tradition of developing high-level players in Europe,” Daly told CNBC.
Executives with several teams competing in Europe this year said it’s encouraging to see local support for USA Hockey.
“One of the most eye-opening experiences for me was seeing how many international fans there are and how many Devils teams are truly on a global and world stage,” New Jersey Devils president Jack Reynolds said in an interview. fan.
Jump in the pond
The NHL Global Series is nothing new. The current campaign started in 2017 and was interrupted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The regular season in Europe goes back even further, and the NHL has a long history of playing exhibition games against local teams abroad.
The league also hosts fan The tour, which runs across Europe from August 31 to November 2 this year, serves as a way for fans to interact with the NHL through games, prizes and, at certain stops, the coveted Stanley Cup.
In February, the NHL will host its first-ever Quad Nations Tournament, an international event in which league players from Canada, Sweden, Finland and the United States will represent their home countries.
A panoramic view of Nokia Arena before the start of the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland game between the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers in Tampere, Finland, on November 2, 2024.
Andre Linguet | National Hockey League | Getty Images
2026 NHL Players planning Participating in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
“They want to make the game as global as possible because we Operating in a global economy.
“So you can’t say, ‘Well, this game is only for North Americans.’ That’s not the case,” Burton said.
Burton also said he wouldn’t be surprised to see one or more NHL teams established in Europe in the future.
Daley didn’t rule out the possibility but classified it as a long-term play if it does happen.
Europe offers clear opportunities for NHL growth. Daly said about 30 percent of the league’s players are European, which is part of the reason for the global series’s enthusiastic reception and high turnout.
“Sometimes we forget how much fun this is,” Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “It’s really fun to go out there and play hockey.”
Florida Panthers No. 13 Sam Reinhart prepares to play against Dallas during the third period of the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland game at Lenokia Arena in Tempe, Finland, on November 2. Shot by Stars No. 4 Miro Heiskanen, 2024.
Andre Linguet | National Hockey League | Getty Images
The protagonists of this season’s Finland game between the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are Finnish players Alexander Barkov and Rupu Hintz. When the New Jersey Devils take on the Buffalo Sabers in the Czech Republic, both teams tend to use Czech players from the past and present.
“We’re bringing some very good teams and some good European players back to their home markets,” Daley said.
greater leverage
Herrick Feinstein partner Irwin Kishner said taking the NHL’s product beyond the U.S. and Canada to expand its audience will provide the league with greater leverage the next time it negotiates media rights. More bargaining chips.
“The more eyeballs there are, the more valuable the signal is,” Kirchner said. “The more you can drive through sponsorships, the more you can pay players, the richer the league will become.”
NHL Current Media Rights trade Experience the 2027-28 season if recent sports media rights trend If it continues, the NHL will also consider significantly increasing the value of its contract. Live sports are one of the last subscription viewing options bundled with traditional pay TV, meaning media companies are willing to pay a premium for broadcast rights.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, revenue from the NHL Global Series and most other international events is owned by the league’s hockey-related revenue and is divided between the league and players.
There are also income-generating opportunities at the individual team level through corporate sponsorships.
Global Series patch and jersey details are displayed in the Colorado Avalanche locker room prior to the 2022 NHL Global Series Finland game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Lenokia Arena in Tempe, Finland, on November 4, 2022.
Andre Linguet | National Hockey League | Getty Images
Dallas Stars Chairman Brad Alberts has said he is interested in exploring a partnership with Nokia, which has a large presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is headquartered in Finland. Reynolds said that for European games, the New Jersey Devils swapped out their typical Prudential helmet decals for Prudential’s international affiliate, PGIM.
The NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association work together on all moves to expand beyond the United States and Canada.
Both the NHL and NHLPA say they are often on opposite sides when it comes to negotiating collective bargaining contracts, but are aligned when it comes to making hockey and the NHL more popular.
“You can see it in the private sector. When unions and businesses develop business in the private sector, you see a lot of success,” Marty Walsh, NHLPA executive director, said in an interview.
Although many of the league’s efforts are focused on Europe, there is significant interest from other markets.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the NHL held a preseason game between the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes in Australia, marking the first time the NHL has played a game in the Southern Hemisphere. The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the newer teams in the league and they invest resources into developing their team fan base in Latin America.
