The NHL Premiere for 2012 has not been confirmed yet and as far we we all know; might not happen. It most likely will as I discussed in Part 1 and Part 2, which for those of you who haven’t read it yet can check out here and here. This article is going with the presumption that there will be NHL games in Europe this season, however if the games do not happen for some reason then don’t come calling us liars.

This is the last part of the series and having looked at whether the games will go ahead, where the games may go, it is now time to look at what teams will appear in Europe should the games go ahead.

Anaheim
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): London in 2007, Helsinki and Stockholm in 2011

Anaheim has had some extensive history when it comes to overseas games. Besides their recent European games they have also appeared before in Tokyo; where they faced the Canucks in 1997.
With a roster containing a decent number of European players as well as a strong and recognizable brand name, the Ducks have proved that they can draw in the crowds; however with the consideration that the NHL hasn’t brought the same team back to Europe twice in a row the chances of the Ducks making an appearance this year are somewhat limited.
Likelihood to appear: 3/10

Boston
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Prague 2010

A team who has been very successful in recent seasons and with a name that is very recognizable across the pond, Boston are a solid choice for the NHL to showcase their brand. However, with their roster consisting of only a few European players the NHL would be taking a gamble as has been found before that the Premiere games like a hometown / local based big name player. Based on this I believe the NHL will be more comfortable leaving the Bruins at home this season.
Likelihood to appear: 5/10

Buffalo
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki and Berlin in 2011

What felt like an odd addition to the usual names appearing in Europe, Buffalo were a surprisingly good fit to the NHL premiere in 2011. However, as mentioned previously it is usually safe to disregard teams who have played in Europe in the previous season so I cannot imagine the Sabres making an appearance – However, I will regard them as a wildcard pick should the NHL consider a German city.
Likelihood to appear: 5/10

Calgary
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

What about the Flames? A decent enough level of hockey to take on the road and a team not in “rebuild” mode where such a game would not be considered. With big names such as Olli Jokinen, Henrik Karlsson and Miikka Kiprusoff all all hailing from Scandanavia; picking the Flames could prove a good choice for the NHL if they were to return to Sweden or Finland.
The negatives of course would be that should scheduling not allow, Calgary fans would lose a home game and being a Canadian team with a very strong following – this would be noticeable. However if the NHL made the European Calgary games both away games the impact would be somewhat less.
Likelihood to appear 8/10

Carolina
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki, 2010

A team which admittedly I sometimes forget exists (as does Wildwing64) Carolina; who have a surprisingly pro-Europe roster. With players such as Jussi Jokinen and Joni Pitkanen residing in the roster, the team would most likely gather a decent amount of interest in Finland, however they additionally have players such as Jiri Tlusty and Jaroslav Spacek who hail from the Czech Republic; thus could certainly sell seats once again in Europe. The Hurricanes for example could provide a team such as Calgary a great European opponent.
Likelihood to appear 7/10

Chicago
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki, 2009

A successful team over the past few seasons, Chicago has a fantastic hometown following and a recognizable presence in Europe. The Blackhawks have a few Swedish players on their roster which would generate some interest in Sweden and it also features players from Finland and the Czech Republic.
With a good level of talent being evident from the team right now as well, the NHL would certainly be showcasing itself well with this team as a choice across the Atlantic; however with the large hometown fans, losing a game or two would upset a large crowd.
Likelihood to appear: 6/10

Colorado
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

From personal experience, people around here like Colorado as they have similar (read: almost identical) colours to a local soccer team. I have never really seen any real support or interest in this team, except for one guy I saw once before at a local hockey game who didn’t seem to have a clue about the playoffs so see the above.
Their roster consists of one Swedish player of current and two players from the Czech Republic, so if the NHL was making an attempt to market Colorado on the basis of players, they might have an uphill mountain climb to face. That said, the level of hockey from Colorado is quite good and they would entertain many, its just a question of how many and whether or not they would end up with a less impressive crowd than if they chose another team. That said I will be somewhat shocked if the NHL does choose the Avs.
Likelihood to appear: 2/10

Columbus
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm, 2o1o.

The Blue Jackets appeared in Stockholm to not so-close-to sellout crowds and limited support from the Swedish. This isn’t to say they would not come again but when you consider how well they aren’t performing in the NHL, it is presumable that they would want to stay home this year and improve their talent. This aside they do have some marketable players to Europe but possibly not as big as those on other teams.
Likelihood to appear: 3/10

Dallas
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

I am a little biased here as I would love to see the Stars play here in Europe, but I have to be realistic about this. From the two European NHL games I have been two now, I have seen a whole plethora of jerseys, however only once did I see a Stars jersey. This doesn’t mean that people in Europe do not like or support the Stars, it’s just that there isn’t much of an impact.
However, the team does have three Swedish players,  Loui Eriksson, Nicklas Grossman and Tom Wandell – so they would be marketable to a city in Sweden. With the team focusing on rebuilding its fanbase after years of mismanagement however it would be a strong possibility that for this season the new GM chooses to keep the team in Dallas to push for better attendance figures.
Likelihood to appear: 5/10

Detroit
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm, 2009

Fun to watch, decent line up of well known players – it is easy to see why Detroit could handle another European appearance.
If the NHL is once again in contact with Sweden regarding a few games Detroit could offer them a good amount of Swedish names, including Zetterberg, Lidtrom and Ericsson. These names are not the only Swedish on the roster of course, and the NHL could easily market more – couple this with a good quality product on the ice and the NHL premiere will be a sure sell.
Likelihood to appear: 8/10

Edmonton
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

Edmonton are (still) somewhat unreliable, inconsistent and this is known by a more than just the North American fans. Could these troubles impact fan interest, yes; however the players often mean more than the team; and Edmonton does indeed have a few Swedish and Finnish players on the roster. However given the teams never ending rebuild mode feel, and rumors that they turned down previous years for similar reasons I cannot help but feel the Oilers are going to miss this year.
Likelihood to appear: 4/10

Florida
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki, 2009

A surprise team this year with a fanbase that as much as certain groups would like to pretend doesn’t exist; does indeed exist and is growing comfortably.
The Panthers roster, consists of a good mix of Swedish, Finnish and German players who could provide a nice draw for fans in the central European region. This would make Florida a good choice for European games, and it would certainly draw in a good range of fans.
Likelihood to appear: 8/10

Los Angeles
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): London 2007, Stockholm and Berlin 2011

Like Anaheim, Los Angeles have good experience in Europe in the recent NHL premiere’s and with a decent quality of hockey being played by this team now the NHL is happy to showcase this.
However given the lack of European names in the LA Kings roster it is unlikely the NHL would use them as a lead marketing team and given their recent appearances it is unlikely they will re visit this season. However; being owned by AEG, the team has ties to many of the large arenas in Europe and there is always the possibility of corporate politics being used to push the Kings back into Europe again.
Likelihood to appear: 1/10

Minnesota
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki, 2010

The Wild played two games as the away team in 2010, most likely in a move to ensure they do not impact the Wilds home fans – played to sellout crowds in Helsinki against the ‘Canes.
Players such as Backstrom and Koivu the Wild can certainly be a good team to promote in Finland and with a German player, Dany Heatley the talent is there and avaliable to show to a European market.
Likelihood to appear: 7/10

Montreal
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

I can imagine the anger amongst the fans if the Canadiens went to Europe and played as the home team. It would be stupid for the NHL to even consider this and therefore this makes Montreal an Away team at best.
Many people seem to say “send them to France”, but given Frances limited interest in the sport this seems like just an excuse to promote francophone ties rather than promote and increase the NHL brand.
This said, the Canadiens do have an interest collection of European players; they have one of the NHL’s few Danish players, they have players from Switzerland and also Russians (though for the purpose of this article I am leaving Russia out of Europe).
Besides this, the Canadiens are instantly one of the most recognizable teams in the NHL and I do believe the NHL could easily sell them well as a team, even without pushing their European players; however with the team being inconsistent it’s a question of whether they would be best left in Montreal this year to work on their game.
Likelihood to appear: 6/10

Nashville
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

The Predators are a team that doesn’t seem to be known greatly on this side of the Atlantic, and whilst they have been succeeding pretty well with their style of hockey, they lack to big players names the NHL often relies on for the smaller market teams to be successful in Europe. This said, players such as Hornqvist and Lindback are known well in Sweden and they could help draw in a bigger crowd if for example the Predators faced another team with a good Swedish Roster.
Likelihood to appear: 6/10

New Jersey
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

The Devils are for some reason well recognized in the UK – perhaps because they (like the Rangers) are a noticeable New York area team or are people for some reason just attracted to them.
Ignoring these questions, the Devils do have a sizeable amount of Swedish players on the roster and even a player from Lithuania. This could allow for the NHL to market both the team and players to Europe and hopefully draw in a good sized crowd. Given the Devils visibility in Europe also, they would make for a solid choice of team.
Likelihood to appear: 8/10

New York (Islanders)
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

Often considered the joke team of New York, this team is having trouble finding a home for them in the US, let alone in Europe. Faced with questionable ownership and a less than stellar record the NHL would struggle to market what is often considered as New York’s forgotten team.
Until the aforementioned problems clear up I really cannot see the NHL taking a gamble and sending the Islanders to Europe.
Likelihood to appear: 0/10

New York (Rangers)
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm 2011, Prague 2008

Stockholm was Lundqvist crazy this Premiere. It was evident in every piece of marketing that he was the name they were pushing and this was certainly a driving force in why the NHL chose NYR as the only team to stay in the same city two games in a row (though arena refurbishments helped too).
Besides this, the Rangers do have a noticeable presence and are one of the (if not the) most memorable NHL teams for some reason or another (see New Jersey).
This said, no team has visited two years in a row, though given the success in Stockholm this season I would put money on New York being the team that breaks this trend if any do.
Likelihood to appear: 6/10

Ottawa
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm 2008

Previous visitors to Stockholm, its not hard to work out why after one glance at the Roster.
This team have Karlsson and Alfredsson who are big crowd pullers in Sweden and would definably help the NHL should the pick Stockholm again. In addition they also have a player from Latvia and one from Denmark so could easily promote to fans in Northern Europe, which is important. Given that the NHL also seems to like bringing teams back every few years (I guess this helps promote the teams) the Senators could be a good solid pick.
Likelihood to appear: 7/10

Philadelphia
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

A very recognizable team, if not due to their notoriety and is one team the NHL could probably market on that alone to Europe. Obviously this could give the wrong impression of the NHL and further the stereotype that people have of hockey.
The Flyers do have notable Czech Republic player, Jaromir Jagr, who could promote the team strongley in the Czech, which has hosted games before and has been successful. In addition, the Flyers are a solid team and would be an exciting team to offer European fans the chance to see.
Likelihood to appear: 7/10

Phoenix
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Prague, 2010

Whilst there are positive points on the Roster as to why the Coyotees could be popular in the Czech, sadly their confusing financial and ownership troubles will prevent the Yotes from making the jump to Europe this year I imagine. Unless someone in the NHL really is off their rocker…
Likelihood to appear: 0/10

Pittsburgh
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Helsinki, 2008

With the constant promotion of big names such as Malkin, Crosby and Staal, the Penguins are arguably the team the NHL wants you to watch, enjoy and see as the face of the sport.
It is possible in the case of the Penguins to argue that the do not need any big European names to do well in Europe, the name is strong enough; and I would be inclined to agree, which is just as well considering when you come down to looking at the rest of the roster – its a little lackluster in the sense of hometown European players. Though I do feel the NHL would wait for Crosby to be 100% fit for an entire season again before making the trip across the Atlantic
Likelihood to appear: 6/10

San Jose
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm 2010

People argue that it was the Sharks fault that the overall interest was low for the 2010 games in Stockholm, but this would be unfair as I feel Columbus wasn’t all that popular either; however when you consider the lack of big name European players on the San Jose roster you can understand this argument.
Given this, unless they are brought in as a secondary team, I really don’t see the Sharks swimming across the Atlantic just yet.
Likelihood to appear: 2/10

St Louis
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Stockholm 2009

Arguably one of the biggest surprises this season, the St Louis Blues appear to have a lot of talent to showcase and this could help promote them considerably. In addition to this new found talent, they also have a couple of players from the Czech Republic, so you could argue that if they were put alongside another team with a good amount of Czech players they would pull crowds in to see both premium level hockey and and hometown players. This said, are there teams with bigger names who could do better?
Likelihood to appear: 5/10

Tampa Bay
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): Prague 2008

Tampa is quite an unpredictable team and whilst they have the tools, they don’t always get the job done. And reflected into an international series this could either prove risky or a really good idea: No one truly knows what sort of game the NHL would end up showing to Europe. However, on the plus side they do have a couple of Swedish names on their roster which would help promote the team in Sweden and even a player from the Czech which would mean more recognition in central Europe. Not to be negative here, but I feel the NHL would consider other teams over the Lightning.
Likelihood to appear: 4/10

Toronto
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

Regarded as having one of the highest ticket prices of any NHL team, The Leafs are a popular team and instantly recognizable for fans around the globe. As a big name, they are certainly a team the NHL could market on name alone and with this season finally allowing them to start showing the league what they are capable of they would sure prove entertaining to the Europeans.
Facing similar issues to the Canadiens with regards to not annoying fans by skipping a home game, they would be in Europe on purely an away basis – so there certainly would be no match-ups against rival teams in Canada played in Europe. Roster-wise, players such as Gustavsson would draw in home town crowds in Sweden, and having a German player on the roster would be a pull should the NHL want a European game in Europe.
Likelihood to appear: 8/10

Vancouver
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

The Sedins. That need be the only reason for this team to visit Europe (Sweden particularly), however combine this with their very decent quality game and other recognisable names like Edler, Lapierre and Luongo the Cannucks would prove a good pick to send to Europe and in all honesty its a more a case of not “if” but “when”.
Likelihood to appear: 9/10

Washington
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

It is no secret that the NHL wants Washington to play in Russia, and this is defiably preventing them from considering this team going to any European city. This is a shame because I am pretty sure that Sweden would welcome back Backstrom with open arms (and wallets) as well as most likely be attracted at the chance to see other high caliber players such as Ovechkin or even Vokoun. But until they get that Russian game the NHL craves, I doubt we will see them.
Likelihood to appear: 4/10

Winnipeg
Previous appearances in Europe (2007 onwards): None

Existing for just one season in their current form, I don’t think the NHL has any jet set plans for the Jets until they are fully established in their new home. They certainly have been interesting to watch and they do have international players who could attract fans however I feel the NHL will keep them in Canada for the moment and promote them from there for the near future.
Likelihood to appear: 1/10

These are just my opinions of course and the NHL is at the end of day a business so they will go with the money first, however I think regardless of whoever they send; we will get to see some amazing games of hockey around Europe.

So long as they do come to Europe and there isn’t a lock out.

And this concludes the Road to the NHL Premiere series on PowerPlayGoal.com for this season, I hope you have enjoyed reading and that this makes you want to attend these games as much as I do.

Im KevKev, and this is PowerPlayGoal.com

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