The NHL has made a concerted effort to focus on international growth, which has resulted in some interesting ideas being bandied about. The league and the NHLPA have even discussed the possibility of scrapping the all-star game in favour of potentially holding some type of event overseas as a way to grow the NHL brand in Europe.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported the news Saturday during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
It’s unclear specifically what type of event the league and Players’ Association might be considering.
Johnston also reported that the NHL has recently hired Jaka Lednik — a European-born, Harvard-trained businessman — to oversee the league’s European growth strategy.
More meetings between the NHL and NHLPA are expected to take place soon.
Speaking of international NHL hockey, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Edmonton Oilers have expressed interest in playing games in China if the NHL decides goes back there next year.
The Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played a pair of pre-season games in China in September — one in Shanghai, the other in Beijing. They marked the first games in NHL history to be played in China.
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