-Vintage Canuck- Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Quote The NHL and the NHL Players' Association will announce next week that the league will travel to China for two preseason games between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks next fall. Officials from the league and players' association including NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will formally announce the games, first reported by ESPN in early February, at the LeSports Center in Beijing on Thursday. It's expected the teams will play two games in mid- to late September before the start of the 2017-18 NHL season. One game would be held in Beijing, the site of the 2022 Olympics, with the other likely in Shanghai. The teams aren't expected to play any exhibition games against players from China, though there will be a strong grass-roots hockey component to the trip. The games mark the first NHL competition of any sort held in China. A youth hockey clinic will be among the events that will accompany Thursday's announcement. The NHL earlier this week confirmed ESPN's report that the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators will play two regular-season games in Stockholm. The games will be Nov. 10 and 11 as part of what the league is calling its Global Series. Those games will mark the sixth time -- and the first since 2011 -- that NHL regular-season games will be played in Europe. The announcements are part of a wide-ranging international calendar of events jointly organized and promoted by the league and its players. http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/18994020/los-angeles-kings-vancouver-canucks-play-two-preseason-games-china Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hmm. Could be cool. I'm personally rather indifferent to the idea of playing pre-season games in far away places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlanB Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Pretty badly kept secret this was happening. NHL goes to China for meaningless games but won't go to Olympics and showcase the best of the best.....hmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sygvard Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I think it is a canny move by the league. Its the right way to spread the game, without having to play IN season games in other countries with possibly sketchy rinks. I'm open to the concept, and like the idea of sharing the sport with more of the world. It IS the best sport afterall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanuck Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 4 minutes ago, PlanB said: NHL goes to China for meaningless games but won't go to Olympics and showcase the best of the best.....hmmmm. Some would argue apples vs oranges while others would argue NHL/IOC/IIHF power and money struggle. I bet it's more of the latter myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucker 67 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 1.4 billion people in China. Hope they sell out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimberWolf Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Fun trivia time. Who scored the first NHL regulation goal in Asia (and outside North America) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconuts Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Eh, not really all that interested in it but it's neat I suppose. Exposure ain't a bad thing and the players might enjoy it. Here's hoping they get a good turnout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numb3r 16 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 If the NHL wants exposure screw all these stupid preseason games and take the players to the Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 11 minutes ago, numb3r 16 said: If the NHL wants exposure screw all these stupid preseason games and take the players to the Olympics. Far as I know, the NHL does want to take them there, it's the owners that don't want it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 3 minutes ago, ajhockey said: Far as I know, the NHL does want to take them there, it's the owners that don't want it. The NHL is the owners... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 1 minute ago, J.R. said: The NHL is the owners... Ah, well I guess I've mixed up Bettman and the NHL then. I'm pretty sure Bettman's gone on record saying that he wants to go to the Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDDawg Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Was just thinking that this team doesn't travel enough now, so this is a fine plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrix Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 If I buy tickets(flight and game) to go and any one of Horvat, Boeser, Goldobin and Virtanen sits, I'm going to riot in Beijing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeekz37 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 44 minutes ago, TimberWolf said: Fun trivia time. Who scored the first NHL regulation goal in Asia (and outside North America) Scott Walker...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neversummer Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Isn't playing in Vancouver pretty much playing in 'Gina'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeekz37 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 5 minutes ago, Byrix said: If I buy tickets(flight and game) to go and any one of Horvat, Boeser, Goldobin and Virtanen sits, I'm going to riot in Beijing. A headline of "Big Trouble in Little China" just popped up in my head haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimberWolf Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 1 minute ago, Beeekz37 said: Scott Walker...? Yup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrago Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 46 minutes ago, TimberWolf said: Fun trivia time. Who scored the first NHL regulation goal in Asia (and outside North America) Scott Walker. Opps guess I was a little late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Boudreau Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Tank starting early next year eh? Get ravaged by injury first half of the year instead of second half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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