National Hockey League to open 2008-09 season in Stockholm and Prague

January 27, 2008

The National Hockey League has announced in a press conference earlier this week that it will open the 2008-09 NHL season with two series' in Europe. On October 4 and October 5, the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning will play in Prague, Czech Republic at the Sazka Arena, and the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will play in Stockholm, Sweden at the Stockholm Globe Arena.

Each of the four teams will also play exhibition games in Europe. The Rangers will play against Metallurg Magnitogorsk of Russia's elite league in the IIHF-sanctioned Victoria Cup. The Senators will play against Frolunda of Sweden's elite league. The Lightning and Penguins will play exhibition games in Germany and Finland respectively.

This will be the second season in a row that the NHL season kicks off with regular season games being played in Europe; at the start of the current 2007-08 season, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks played games at London's O2 September 28 and September 29.