Oilers to play in Sweden, Jets in Finland as part of NHL international schedule

Gary Bettman addresses media ahead of the All-Star Skills Competition in Tampa Bay, announcing that the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers will all play oversees games next season in order to grow the game.

We now know details of the NHL’s international schedule for the 2018-19 season.

The Edmonton Oilers will play the New Jersey Devils in Sweden to begin their respective seasons, while the Winnipeg Jets will take on the Florida Panthers for two games in Helsinki, Finland, reports Chris Johnston.

The Jets-Panthers game is sure to be of interest for Finnish fans, given the roles two of the country’s brightest stars (Patrik Laine and Aleksander Barkov) play for their respective teams.

The league has also expressed interest in returning to China for games, something the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks did during this year’s pre-season.

The Devils will spend part of their pre-season in Switzerland, home of No. 1 pick Nico Hischier, while the Oilers will play an exhibition game in Germany, from where forward Leon Draisaitl hails.

Elliotte Friedman reports that the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are being considered for the China games.

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