Thus far the NHL has played 29 regular season games overseas. These games generate substantial interest and excitement. The average attendance in these games is 13,339 per game and a total attendance of 386,818.
In 2012 the NHL and NHLPA agreed to work together on international projects. Since 2012 the NHL has seen approximately 25 percent of their players come from Europe and Russia. The Global Series helps maintain and grow this percentage.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Recently, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly commented that “The hockey countries in Europe have done a fantastic job developing hockey players, great hockey players… we have a lot in the National Hockey League.” Commissioner Gary Bettman added, “We think it makes the game better, stronger and more widely viewed from an international perspective.”
For more on European Players in the NHL check out NHL Has A Unified Draft, But The Rules Don’t Treat Europeans The Same.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”6309″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 2019-20 Global Series will see the Blackhawks attend training camp in Berlin, Germany and play an exhibition game against the German club, Eisbären Berlin on Sunday, Sept. 29. Eisbären Berlin is one of the top clubs in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) having won seven (7) national DEL titles in its 65-year existence. The 2018-19 Eisbären Berlin roster has some former NHL players including Danny Richmond who received a Stanley Cup ring as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
The Philadelphia Flyers are heading to Lausanne, Switzerland. The home of the International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, is a beautiful and historic town on the banks of Lake Geneva.
The Flyers will also take on Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League in an exhibition game. The game will be one of the first in the state-of-the-art Vaudoise Arena that will be able to hold up to 10,000 fans, scheduled to open in the summer of 2019.
Markus Fischer of Samuel Haas Partners, who works closely with many of the clubs and players in the National League described the excitement of having the NHL return to Switzerland:
“Every hockey fan in Switzerland is very excited to have the Global Series back in our country. It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity again to see such a renowned NHL club, as the Flyers, live against one of the best Swiss clubs. The passionate crowd of Lausanne HC will create a wonderful atmosphere, and the players are going to love it.”
In a brilliant move, the NHL also announced that the Flyers and Blackhawks will then open the regular season in Prague. This game is poised to create massive interest in the Czech Republic. The Blackhawks currently have two Czech born players on their roster, Dominik Kahn and David Kampalf. The Flyers also have Czech born players Jakub Voracek, Michal Neuvirth, and Radko Gudas.
Further, the NHL announced that the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning will head over to Stockholm in November. The Lightning and Sabres will play two regular season games. By choosing these teams, the NHL again set themselves up for success. The Sabres have Swedish players Rasmus Dahlin, Johan Larsson, and Linus Ullmark while the Lightning have Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman.
The Global Series is one example of the NHL and NHLPA working together to successfully develop a new revenue stream for the league and players. One key aspect of the games is that the revenue generated by international games is shared between the players and the League.
The revenue sharing aspect of the games is especially crucial for the players in the escrow era. Under the CBA, a portion of a player’s salary is placed into an escrow account. This agreement ensures that at the end of the season, the players as a whole are receiving 50% of the total revenue generated by the league. (The owners receive the other 50%). The escrow rate is typically around 15.5% each season. The addition of any new revenue streams helps reduce the amount each player will have to place in escrow.
For more on the escrow system check out Mark Stone Hit The Tax Jackpot With Trade To Vegas Golden Knights[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”6308″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]As long as the people of Lausanne can survive the presence of Gritty, the Flyers mascot, the NHL Global Series is primed to be the most successful in the eight-year history of the event.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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