NHL to open season in London: Official

[DEAD!]

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=28985...mp;service=page

NHL takes its act on the road – to England

Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com Senior Writer Mar 1, 2007, 9:51 AM EST

In a continuing effort to grow the game globally, the NHL announced Thursday morning a two-game slate of regular-season games will be contested in London, England to open the 2007-08 season.

The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings have been chosen as the participants to bring the NHL brand to one of Europe’s biggest and most cosmopolitan cities. The teams will play a home-and-home series at the state-of-the-art O2 Arena, which is set to open in July.

The first game will take place Saturday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. (GMT). The second game follows the next night at 5 p.m. (GMT).

Titled NHL Premiere, this exciting event is being hosted in cooperation with the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which runs the O2 Arena.

Tickets go on sale March 1 and are available online at www.theo2.co.uk or by phone at TicketMaster on 0870 534 4444.

“This is a historic and exciting announcement for the Kings, the NHL and the new O2 Arena,” said Timothy J. Leiweke, who in addition to serving as Kings Governor is the President & CEO for AEG, the parent company of the Kings and the owners and operators of the O2. “Everybody associated with the Kings and AEG are thrilled with the unique opportunity to take our team and the great game of hockey overseas, and there could not be a better venue than the O2 to host such an event. The Kings-Ducks rivalry has been a lot of fun for a lot of years in Southern California. The NHL Premiere 2007 series in England takes it to an unrivaled and unprecedented level.”

“Our commitment to grow the game globally has never been stronger,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner, Bill Daly. “The NHL is extremely proud to be represented in London by two great hockey organizations in the Ducks and Kings, as well as to be recording NHL history at such a fantastic facility in the 02.”

While the London trip marks the NHL’s first regular-season foray into Europe, it is not the first time the League has taken its product abroad. In 2000 in an event called Game One, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators opened the 2000-01 regular-season with a pair of games at the Saitama Super Arena on the outskirts of Tokyo. Two other Game One events – in 1997 and 1998 – were also held in Japan.

The Ducks and Kings will open the NHL regular season in London, England.

The NHL has traveled to London previously for preseason action. In 1992, the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens played a two-game series at Wembley Arena in September. In 1993, another two-game preseason series was contested at Wembley Arena featuring the Rangers and Maple Leafs.

“This a great honor for us, to be chosen to play in the NHL’s first regular-season games in Europe,” said Anaheim Ducks Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Burke. “Showcasing a great rivalry between two clubs from the Southern California market will be terrific for the NHL.”

London is a perfect destination for the NHL as its championship trophy, the Stanley Cup, was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston back in 1892 and that city is considered the ancestral home of the most famous trophy in sports. Preston is about 180 miles northwest of London.

Also, England has a strong hockey culture of its own. According to the Hockey Hall of Fame, 20 NHL players hail from England. Goaltender Byron Dafoe, who retired in 2004, and forward Steve Thomas, who scored 1,306 points in a stellar career that also ended in 2004, are the most famous English imports.

Plus, Great Britain has a thriving professional league of its own in the 10-team Elite Ice Hockey League, which has featured many former NHLers among its playing ranks in the past several years.

More details on NHL Premiere will be released at a later date, including information on Ducks and Kings training camp and exhibition schedules.

[HedleyLamarr]

That's a helluvah location for the Battle of Southern California...

[NorthStar74]

Would the 2 games be televised if so?? Might be interested in seeing that on tv...

[Roger Clemente]

So the regular season will begin in September next season....cool!

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[friarcanuck]

That's a helluvah location for the Battle of Southern California...

I thought so too. When they opened the season in Japan, west coast teams went over the Pacific. Why wouldn't they get east coast teams over there or at least teams with some kind of British history? Like Ottawa and Montreal....

Well kind of British.

[Roger Clemente]

Well, according to the article, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), who owns the O2 arena that's hosting the games, also owns the Los Angeles Kings, so that was a no-brainer as to who to get to play easily. Knowing the Kings would be playing, they had to find a team that they could play against twice, so it was Anaheim that was ultimately chosen and agreed.

The arena itself seats 23,000 apparently!

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[Alphabet Man]

Similar to West Coast playing Fremantle in London a couple of years back. Got more there than they would if they played eachother in the Grand Final.

[yh]

Why wouldn't they get east coast teams over there or at least teams with some kind of British history? Like Ottawa and Montreal....

Well kind of British.

In all fairness, England has had its share of Kings.

And how is Johnny Bower not mentioned among the list of notable British exports? I'd think he certainly had a more notable career than Byron Dafoe.

[ROCHitman]

That logo kicks ars!

[-Helix-]

So the regular season will begin in September next season....cool!

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

I believe these games are like 2 weeks before the real season so they have time to recover from the time difference.

Atleast that's the way I understood it.

[CC97]

That's a helluvah location for the Battle of Southern California...

More hockey fans in England (ah it was a joke, calm down)