‘This is not the beginning of a European NHL’: Bettman, Daly on league’s overseas plans
This article first appeared on hockeysverige.se and has been translated from Swedish to English.
When the NHL recently announced that it had opened a new office in Zurich, Switzerland, many people raised their eyebrows.
What exactly is the league’s plan in establishing a presence in Europe in this way?
When the NHL Global Series was played in Stockholm last week, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and his right-hand man, Bill Daly, were asked to explain the thinking behind their European office.
The first thing Bettman did was wave the white flag and deliver a “we come in peace” mantra to downplay conspiracy theories that the NHL intends to expand the league with teams on our continent.
“Let me be clear about what this is not. This is not the beginning of a European NHL,” Bettman said.
“It is more about creating an opportunity for us to work more closely with the federations and leagues in Europe to help grow the sport of ice hockey for all of us.”
The connection between the NHL and Europe has only grown stronger over the years. Around 30 percent of the league’s players are European. And for the past 18 years, the NHL has played close to 50 regular-season games in Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and England. The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings faced off in the original NHL Global Series (then called NHL Premiere) in London in 2007.
According to Daly, this is “only” a natural step toward getting closer to a market where the league sees growth potential.
“We met with the European Hockey Alliance (EHC) while we were in Stockholm, and we told them the same thing we told you: we are not here to invade Europe or step on anyone’s toes,” Daly told hockeysverige.se. “We want to help develop hockey here even further, especially in markets where the sport is not as developed as, for instance, here in Sweden or Finland.
“We are looking a great deal at creating and sponsoring more events that put the sport in focus, especially at the grassroots level. Perhaps particularly in countries where the sport is still in a build-up phase.”
Daly revealed that Stockholm was one of the cities they considered when deciding where to place their European office. Zurich “won,” however, because of its location in central Europe, where there is proximity to both the International Ice Hockey Federation (also in Zurich) and the International Olympic Committee (Lausanne), while also making travel easier.
But this is also where the NHL sees an opportunity to make a greater impact.
“The Swiss and German markets are very interesting for us. Switzerland is a well-developed hockey nation with a strong league, while Germany has been getting stronger. Austria has been up and down in its player development, but that is a place where we have an interest in helping.”
The long-term goal, according to Bill Daly, is to increase the sport’s reach even further.
“We are willing to invest and commit in order to grow the sport and thereby create a larger fan base and more participants. We want to make more of a global push than has been the case previously.”
Getting closer to the European leagues is a key part of the equation, according to Daly.
“We do not want them to feel threatened by us, but rather to feel that we are here to help the sport grow and in doing so help both their business model and our own.”
SPONSORED BY bet365
Recent posts from Uffe Bodin
- Sidney Crosby on stick exchange with Peter Forsberg: ‘Someone I really admired’
- ‘This is coming down to the wire’: Gary Bettman on 2026 Olympic arena construction concerns
- ‘I was crushed’: Penguins’ Rickard Rakell not letting injury ruin return to Sweden
- Henrik Lundqvist wants to bring same expertise from NHL career to the TV screen
- Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt hoping to put difficult season behind him