Europe, which has its own hockey leagues with its own players, some of which actively decide to play in those leagues over the NHL.

England, which isn't even a European country interested in hockey. For fark's sake, Bettman, if you're going to go to Europe, at least have the common sense to go to Sweden or Germany or Finland or the Czech Republic. LONDON?!

Maybe they decided by dental condition alone.

The travel packages on the Kings site run about $2500 a person. You could probably cut that nearly in half with cheaper hotels and stuff, but that's still an expensive ticket.

Gosling: LONDON?!

See: Phoenix, Columbus, Carolina, Floridian cities, Californian cities, etc...

Before someone busts out the whole "top 10 attendance" stat, I'd like for them to show me one jersey, one newspaper/tv editorial, one shred of interest in hockey a) during the summer or b) outside the close proximity of the arena during the hockey season (though this mostly applies for the "jersey" and "interest" categories)

The owners of the Staples Center (where the Kings play) own the arena in London where the game is being played. This will replace a home game for the Kings.

I can't see how playing one game overseas could possibly be a bad thing. I also don't think the NHL is interested in moving a team to Western Europe, as this seems pretty much like a publicity grab, or at least an attempt to promote the sport in Britain.

Hmmm. Just read that it'll be a two game series there with the Ducks have their "home" opener there as well.

Unless the Honda Center is owned by the same group of people, then there's probably a bit more dealing behind the scenes.

They announced this quite a while ago (although I don't think the specifics were announced) and apparently the arena in London was swamped with calls for the next week or so. I think they'll do just fine.

On the North American Sports Network here in Europe they've been showing ads for the game and it looks pretty cool, but they're also heavily emphasizing the drinking + eating + party atmosphere of the "event" - there's only a few snippets of actual hockey action in the 30-second commercial.

This is the arena where it takes place:

More at:
http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/tour

Gosling: Europe, which has its own hockey leagues with its own players, some of which actively decide to play in those leagues over the NHL.

England, which isn't even a European country interested in hockey. For fark's sake, Bettman, if you're going to go to Europe, at least have the common sense to go to Sweden or Germany or Finland or the Czech Republic. LONDON?!

Relax, this is an exhibition, not expansion.

It's just an event to get increase TV exposure and merchandise sales outside North America.

NHL games are on in (some parts of) Europe regularly now, and there's a bar or two in London that cater especially to Canadians and other hockey fans and show hockey often. Getting one game to visit London early in the season is very different than setting up a bunch of teams in Southern USA permanently.

While going to the airport in Edinburgh Scotland we passed by a hockey store. Sticks, pads, jerseys..the whole nine yards.

I was actually amazed.

And didn't Theo Fleury end up playing in an Irish hockey league after no North American team would pick him up?

rka: While going to the airport in Edinburgh Scotland we passed by a hockey store. Sticks, pads, jerseys..the whole nine yards.

I was actually amazed.

And didn't Theo Fleury end up playing in an Irish hockey league after no North American team would pick him up?

There are leagues all over Europe, including teams in the UK. What is surprising to me is that they have little or no interest in the NHL and only follow the local national leagues, even if the skill level is clearly far below the NHL level.

/at least that's the feeling I got from travelling there and a brother living in London
//please correct if I'm wrong

Well, they love hockey in London so much that they tore down the Docklands Arena, where the Knights (the local team) used to play last year.

Flashman73: This is the arena where it takes place:

You couldn't pay me to go hang out in North Greenwich. Plus, it is in zone 3. That costs extra money.

/Couldn't even turn it into a casino

Fleury played for Belfast because at the time he was suspended by the NHL for violating the substance abuse program he was on. After a season in Belfast, he wasn't happy with the officiating and called it a career.

Would have liked to see him come back to the NHL for one season.

/wears 14 because of Fleury

MagicMan: Before someone busts out the whole "top 10 attendance" stat

B...b...but attendance!

Why do people always hate on Columbus?

stormont: Why do people always hate on Columbus?

Because it's the easy thing to do, same with all the other small market hockey teams.

I was in South Florida for a few years and it is rough for any sports team, not just hockey. Watch most of the Marlins games and you'll see an abundance of empty seats. Hell, there were a number of Dolphin games that were blacked out or borderline blacked out due to attendance levels that were too low. The Heat do pretty well, but they're winning, and that's the problem with south Florida. When the team is winning, everyone will jump on the bandwagon. It happened in '96 with the Panthers, but the minute any team stops winning, people stop going. There are few actual "fans" down in the area for any of the sports, but because hockey has ice (god forbid), let's get rid of them. Forget the continued lack of interest in getting the Marlins a new stadium or the Dolphins blackouts, only the Panthers seem to be a problem.

/Moved to north Florida a while ago
//things could have changed since
///doubt it though

One of the main reasons for choosing this location was it's history with regards to the cup. When Lord Stanley first purchased the cup over 100 years ago, he did so at a silver shop in London. He took it back to Canada and donated it to amateur hockey.

"It was in England's capital 115 years ago that the championship trophy was purchased at the Regent Street shop of silversmith G. R. Collis and Co."

JohnnyCanuck: "It was in England's capital 115 years ago that the championship trophy was purchased at the Regent Street shop of silversmith G. R. Collis and Co."

And now it lives in Southern California.

Which is why NASCAR is now almost the number 3 sport in the states.

Despite the "wait, what?" a part of me had assumed that the headline referred to London, Ontario. Then I RTFA.

Gary Bettman: "zomg!!1!!! it werk for nfl, so i can has england time now 2 plz?"