The Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks will open the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing six games in Europe, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association announced Tuesday.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=309526

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We were biting this morning. We were biting this morning.

Thank God it's not us.

well, at least the yotes will have a crowd for a few games this year

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PSA: I am an overly sarcastic person. If you take me at my word, then i will most likely anger and offend you.

^^ THIS

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Is Bettman just ignoring the obvious. I'm sure Austria would love to see Vanek play a regular season game in his homeland.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's confused as to why that scenario hasn't happened yet.

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mechaphil

Every time Bettman overlooks Buffalo I consider a blessing.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Me too. Honestly I won't be too thrilled if/when the Sabres are chosen to play over in Europe for the season opener.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

interesting choice of teams.
carolina phoenix?

Trying to expand those teams fan bases over seas...not a bad marketing tactic by the NHL at all.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

I guess they need fans somewhere.

That would be great, but I guess Austria is a way too small hockey market. Before the NHL would play in Austria they would probably go to Slovakia.



I guess the NHL just pairs a popular team with a "not so popular" team. The people come to see San Jose, Boston and Minnesota and nobody cares about where Phoenix and Carolina is playing.

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good point. cuz their own cities are failing pretty hard.

I was thinking that maybe the were picking teams not expected to make it far into the playoffs, but SJS being there threw that off. I looked at the rosters and seems like they are picking teams with players from Europe, but I think they could have picked better teams. The Sharks only have 2 d-men from Sweden, Nabokov from Russia and all their forwards ar US or Canadien.
Phoenis has 5 Czechs, 2 Finns, a Swede and Russian. Carolina 3 Finns, a Swede and Russian. Boston has 2 Czechs, 2 Finns, 2 Slovaks and a German. Columbus has 4 Swedes, 3 Czechs, 2 Russian and a Slovak. Minnesota has 3 Czechs, 3 Finns, a Swede an a Kazakh.

Now these are based on their current rosters, so obviously it might change. Still doesn't make sense they put San Jose as one of the teams. San Jose is tied for least amount Europeans with Buffalo who will have an Austrian, German and Slovak. Maybe Bettman is expecting SJ to win the Cup?

Either way, I'm glad Buffalo was not included.

Side note: I did find it odd that SJ and TB have no forward from outside the US or Canada.

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We were biting this morning. We were biting this morning.

You now what Bettman should do? he should make Boston, Carolina, Columbus, Minnesota, Phoenix and San Jose all play in Florida or southern states to sell the game instead of putting it in Europe.

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just call me Brad

Twitter @BUrbanowicz13

Rude.

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Miles to go before I sleep

‎"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Khalil Gibran

Well Sharks are the most interesting team cause of Heatley, Thornton and Marleau but the number 1 question remains: what do the players think?

Honestly I would be pissed having to fly around 13 hours, taking a long bus trip just to play in front of an unknown crowd instead of your homebase.

Wings last year were the obvious choice tons of Swedes and playing in your hometown = win/win situation.

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Sloppy seconds = 6 games "clean" headhunting = nothing
it's obvious Bettman and Campbell are Pens cocksuckers

Bettman will send them to Austria for the opening of the '11-'12 season as the then reigning Stanley Cup champions to make sure that Vanek can present the trophy to his home crowd.

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"Go out and run 'em."
- Lindy Ruff, 23 Feb. 2007

This is true...Hecht, Tallinder, Vanek, Sekera, and Lydman are the only Europeans on our team.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo