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Concessions for overseas play?


danjr

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Quite often in the history of the NHL teams have gone overseas for Exhibition, preseason or regular season play.  It is a difficult thing to have a team go over to represent the NHL.  The logistics, travel, time change.  Players being away from families and among other things.  (Teams over seas since 97 include{mostly in order} ANA, VAN, TB, BUF, CAL, SJS, Nash, PIT, COL, TOR, FLO, NYR, OTT, LA, CHI, DET, STL, BOS, CAR, CBJ, MIN, PHO, BUF.)

 

What if any concessions do the team and or players get for doing this.  I mean it is rather risky for team likes Ottawa and Colorado, who will be going a month into the regular season.  Just look at the travel alone.  Does the NHL randomly draw teams, or do teams volunteer and get some type of payback in the future?

 

It really does baffle me why a team would agree to do this, if they really get no tangible compensation.  Maybe merchandising over the long term, of newly created fans?

 

Thoughts? Clarifications?!?!?!

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26 minutes ago, danjr said:

  Does the NHL randomly draw teams, or do teams volunteer and get some type of payback in the future?

 

Admittedly sheer speculation - but from what our GM's have said in the past when Vancouver has been selected to do such things it seems like teams are essentially 'VOLUN-TOLD' that their franchise is going and it's supposed to be perceived (at least by the NHL front office) that it's some kind of really special privilege.  As far as 'payback', I've never heard of anything whatsoever that comes back in the team's favor. 

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31 minutes ago, Fanuck said:

I've never heard of anything whatsoever that comes back in the team's favor. 

Not true.

 

As an example, the NFL had a hard push into China recently, and we can look back and see how it turned out for them. 

 

Quote

That's going from 25 million - to over 110 million!

 

Think they sell more merchandise (and get higher fees) today, with 110 million fans, or 5 years ago, when they only had 20% of that number?

 

So, yes, going to China isn't going to sell any more seats (in North America), but that doesn't mean it's not a good investment to make.

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34 minutes ago, bloodycanuckleheads said:

Not true.

 

As an example, the NFL had a hard push into China recently, and we can look back and see how it turned out for them. 

 

That's going from 25 million - to over 110 million!

 

Think they sell more merchandise (and get higher fees) today, with 110 million fans, or 5 years ago, when they only had 20% of that number?

 

So, yes, going to China isn't going to sell any more seats (in North America), but that doesn't mean it's not a good investment to make.

NHL works on equal merchandise revenue sharing so even if going to China increases merchandise sales the Canucks don't get any more than any other NHL team that doesn't go to China so Fanuck is correct - there's no benefit that way over any other team which is how I interpreted the OP's question. 

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The Boston Bruins were there this year in late July early August. The 10 day trip was to help grow the game there.

 

I prefer what Boston did which reduces injuries and having plenty of time to get over jet lag which always worst returning from Asia.

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27 minutes ago, Cramarossa said:

Does having them play overseas tie in at all with the debate over NHL players in the Olympics? Isn't this just as risky in regard to injuries/insurance?

I think it does in a couple of ways, one being a stronger likelihood of NHL'rs going to those games, but also a bit of a 'we don't need you to grow our game' message to the IOC as well. Everything Bettman does is a hard-ass negotiation it seems. 

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