"World expansion... next step for the N.H.L."

by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 9, 2011 7:00 AM EDT in Opinion

Worldexpansion_medium

I found the above article looking through the 1970-71 edition of Sports Review's Pro Hockey's, on page 14. After articles on Bobby Orr ("Bargain Basement Super Star") and goaltenders ("You Gotta Be A Nut... To Play Goalie In The N.H.L."), the editors looked forward to an apparently inevitable Stanley Cup playoff series between the "Moscow Reds" and the Boston Bruins, and then the possibility of overseas expansion:

'Will the National Hockey League expand to other countries; other continents? Bill Jennings, New York Ranger president and chairman of the National Hockey League's Expansion Committee, thinks it will. "Now we have two seven club divisions," says he. "If things go right within the next five years we may be able to add a third division. Caribbean cities like San Juan, Mexico City and Caracas, Venezuela (the first step out of continental North America) will be considered. In the main it will be the word of television which will spread the gospel of the ice sport southward and eventually across the ocean to Europe."'

It's funny how long people have been discussing the possibility of world expansion for the NHL, and how little that has progressed in... well... decades.

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"Intercontinental" Expansion, overall, hasn't worked for any sport, except perhaps soccer.

and even then, not as a “League” play.

I think in 1970, they expected International travel would be a lot more futuristic than what we have, and teams could be in Europe as quickly as the Bruins could get to Detroit.

A Goal Horn Haiku

Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto

by Nightbreak on Sep 9, 2011 7:53 AM EDT reply actions

You'd have to move to a Champions league format

Top 4 teams from the NHL, KHL, SEL and … Swiss league? … would all compete in a giant playoff bracket.

Assuming you could work out the kinks (ice size, contact rules), I would SO WATCH THAT.

Holy crap that would be awesome.

by The Tif on Sep 9, 2011 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Would be awesome

The schedules would have to work out a bit better and would people REALLY care assuming the NHL really does reign supreme would it be worth the trouble

by Beanster on Sep 9, 2011 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions

It would cut into the already short summers players have.

And logistically would be a bitch (unless they held it all in one continent).

It would replace the hockey world championship IMO.

by The Tif on Sep 9, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Do it in late September, Early October, before the NHL season starts.

You already have teams from the NHL starting the season in Europe, playing exibition games against their teams. So just scrap that (i never liked the idea) and replace it with a tournament of Champions. It would be more exciting and meaningful.

Buying out Kubas since July 2010

by GelatinousMutantCoconut on Sep 10, 2011 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Really like this idea

Not sure Cup players want to shorten their summer further by adding another tournament. Perhaps the Champions Tournament could replace a clubs preseason schedule?

by anothersensfan on Sep 11, 2011 6:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd like to see that every summer.

the Stanley Cup Champion vs the champions of the KHL, SEL, and SM-Liiga. You could even have a Division II relegation type of thing with teams from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzlerand and Germany, where the top team from Division II bumps out the last place team team from Division I.

Buying out Kubas since July 2010

by GelatinousMutantCoconut on Sep 10, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Has any American league ever allowed a cup challenger from abroad?

Football, baseball, hockey and basketball all have international following, but none that I know of, have ever allowed another division to challenge for the cup. Until they do that other contenants will find the local equivalent amateurish.

Nobody wants to see the Stanley Cup won by a KHL club, and they probably never will, but wouldn’t that really hype up the competitiong?

by BD Rebuilders on Sep 9, 2011 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

It would have to be a new cup

Or you do a WWE-style title-unification match!

by The Tif on Sep 9, 2011 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions

The Stanley Cup

Can still be a NA thing, so the Cup winner from each league would then compete for another “international” cup and that tournament would be done in one country each year like the Memorial Cup (on a smaller scale).

The idea is fun, I just dont think its feasible since like many have mentioned extra costs, shorter summers, rule and rink size adjustements. It would be nice to have maybe an exhibition game between KHL and NHL champion team or something.

My Jason Spezza Obsession is Perfectly Healthy!

by SensDew19 on Sep 9, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Would only work if NHL went to a 60 game season

I reserve the right to change my opinion. After all, it belongs to me.

by havey03 on Sep 9, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Ya pretty much

which would also mean less profits for NHL teams (Bettman) so its a definte no-no ;)

My Jason Spezza Obsession is Perfectly Healthy!

by SensDew19 on Sep 9, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I wonder who the Moscow Reds would be after 1990

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Sep 9, 2011 10:02 AM EDT reply actions

Oh yeah, if anyone wants to read the story...

There’s a slightly bigger version of the image here: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/93255/WorldExpansion_large.jpg

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by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 9, 2011 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

Great find, Peter.

Co-manager, Silver Seven

by DarrenM on Sep 9, 2011 11:35 AM EDT reply actions

It's been in the unpublished drafts section of the site for a while

Like… years. I figured I might as well publish it finally.

Silver Seven | Twitter | Facebook | E-mail | eBay

by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 9, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

It's made me so angry for so long

Sometimes I just look at all our unpublished stuff and I want to delete it all in a fit of rage.

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Sep 9, 2011 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

If TV has taught me anything, you need a kit kat

An Ottawa Senators supporter in Toronto, Ontario. I am cool like that.

by Adnan on Sep 9, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions

All that's over now

Take a deep breath…

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by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 9, 2011 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Super Series

Until we learn to travel alot faster than we are travelling, or until we learn how to beam people across the ocean, Intercontinental regular season play just won’t work very well.

A Super Series that involves the winners of Swiss League, perhaps the German League and the KHL, the NHL Stanley Cup winner, maybe an all star European team… whatever…at least four teams and perhaps a wild card player (a ringer) or two on each team in a Round Robin tournament style.

Whatever they do, make it really contraversial, so it will publicize itself. Here’s a stupid suggestion, but it would be effective… make Don Cherry the commissioner of the whole thing. That would stir up enough contraversy to sell the thing out without any advertising.

Oh yeah, then we have hockey 11 months a year.

by Marvellous on Sep 9, 2011 11:49 AM EDT reply actions