...but this has already been well established. The latest is this farce of an opening of the season in London, England. While I'm all for spreading the game, and developing new interest, Britain seems to be about the last place that would make sense to go. Are there even any active British players? Doubtful. Sure the 2 games between the Ducks and Kings have sold out, but on multiple networks I tuned into yesterday there was speculation about perhaps having a group of teams in Europe as part of the NHL as well. If Gary Bettman thinks he can compete with soccer, cricket and rugby in England, and most of the rest of Europe, he is going to be shown, once again, how wrong he really is.
He can't even get it done right in a bunch of American markets, nevermind the complete shunning of Canada. What's that you say? You are a billionaire investor looking to grossly overpay just so you can bring a team up into a market where people will actually go out to the games? You sir shall be cockblocked. Twice.
And don't think I didn't notice that the pre-game opening of yesterday's game included the British and American national anthems with no sign of standing on guard for thee. A cookie goes to the first person who correctly responds with the country that 12 of 24 of the Kings, and 16 of 27 of the Ducks come from.
I'm fully in support of another player strike just to see Bettman take a walk. The NHL's players (for the most part) aren't involved in murder trials, its referees aren't involved in game fixing, sure some of its owners may be tied up in gambling rings, but the hockey pool is the one thing the NHL has and always will have going for it. It was fantasy hockey before fantasy hockey. Despite all this, the NHL still is pretty much ignored anywhere but Canada. But lets not bring a team up here Gary, lets look at Las Vegas and London, England. Just ask the Coyotes how well a hockey team in the desert works.