Kings & Canucks to Open in England??

Soapy · Post by **Soapy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:01 am

Kings, 'Nucks to open in England?
It is only fitting that the Los Angeles Kings will open the 2006/07 season in a country watched over by a Queen, but will a team from the Commonwealth be their opponent?
Various NHL sources confirmed on Monday that the Kings will play two regular-season games in London to start next season, probably against the Ducks. The Vancouver Canucks are rumoured to be the second opponent.
"It is definitely being discussed, but nothing is finalized yet," said Mike Altieri, vice president of communications for the Kings.
The games will be played at the O2 Arena that is being built by AEG, which also owns the Kings and Staples Center.
It wouldn't be the first time a Canadian team has opened the season in a foreign land. The Canucks played two games in Tokyo to start the 1997-98 season. A year later, the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames also opened in Tokyo.
Somewhere, expansion advocates are doodling the blue prints for NHL Europe.

This is another stupid idea by the NHL......Why bother with England?? Its as stupid as two teams in Florida ! Just another case of the NHL forcing hockey into areas that don't care about hockey.
& why 2 west coast teams?? Wouldn't make more sense to have eastern teams fly over to Europe?? Doesn't the concord land in NY?

ManEatingWhale · Post by **ManEatingWhale** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:20 am

Actually, I don't think the concord flies at all, anymore...

and considering the earth is a sphere, it's really not all that much further for the west coast teams to go to Europe than for the east coast teams.

I really don't see what the big deal is with an opener in another country - why not try to sell the NHL to a broader audience?

Madcombinepilot · Post by **Madcombinepilot** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:14 am

I hope it's not us. Last time we played across a pond, we started the season so crappy it hurt. The extra travel, compiled with the busier schedule is a bad idea. We have already played overseas. It's someone elses turn.

So, who was the first NHL player to ever score a goal in an NHL game overseas?

Bartman · Post by **Bartman** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:31 am

I'm not going to google this. Just from memory wasn't it Scott Walker?

Soapy · Post by **Soapy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:46 am

ManEatingWhale wrote:Actually, I don't think the concord flies at all, anymore...

and considering the earth is a sphere, it's really not all that much further for the west coast teams to go to Europe than for the east coast teams.

I really don't see what the big deal is with an opener in another country - why not try to sell the NHL to a broader audience?

Huh?
It is a 10+ hour flight from Vancouver to London...its a 6 hour flight from New York to London....
We've seen the NHL try to go to markets that don't care about hockey ie: Phoenix & Florida ...exposure is one thing...forcing it on people is another. I just don't want the Canucks to have to fly all over the place. Pick a team with less of a travel schedule !!

ManEatingWhale · Post by **ManEatingWhale** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:02 pm

> It is a 10+ hour flight from Vancouver to London...its a 6 hour flight from New York to London....

Ok. Really, it's not that big of a deal, but if someone's going to challenge me on this, I have to back it up. Check this web page: http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/london_p ... tables.htm

They list fight times as 7 hours from Toronto, and 8 hours and 55 minutes from Vancouver. Air Canada shows shorter flight times, but I'm sure there's a lot of variability in there.

Either way, I'm not arguing they SHOULD fly.

Soapy · Post by **Soapy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:13 pm

Not really a challenge

I got my flight info from Expedia
I still don't think the Canucks should bother with England.
Playing an exhibition in Seattle or Portland makes a lot more sense...of course if those cities had a rink to support it.

Harold · Post by **Harold** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:59 pm

Nonis said on team 1040 today that no one had approached him about this, and that as of now it was unlikely.

Robert · Post by **Robert** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:42 pm

Madcombinepilot wrote:I hope it's not us. Last time we played across a pond, we started the season so crappy it hurt.

That's because that bum messier was on the team. We never recovered till he got his ass kicked outta here ...

As for going over there it would be awful. The travel time alone would take a long time to recover.

Anyways, yes Nonis put the kybosh on it.