NHL Global Series was presented in 2017 after a six-years break of the outside-of-North-America games. The first NHL Global Series games were played between Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche in Stockholm, Sweden on November 10-11, 2017. Unlike the previous NHL games in Europe (the NHL Premiere) it was an ordinary regular-season games, not the teams’ season-openers. For the forthcoming season NHL announced an event more similar to the NHL Premiere, which was a multi-game event of the two parts: series of exhibition games with European teams and NHL regular-season openers. Four teams participate in the 2018 NHL Global Series: New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets. First, New Jersey Devils face SC Bern and Edmonton Oilers face Kölner Haie in the NHL Global Series Challenge and then Oilers and Devils play their season-opening game in Gothenburg, Sweden. Two another games scheduled in the 2018 NHL Global Series, but just ordinary regular-season games between Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets in Helsinki, Finland on Nov. 1-2. For the European hockey fans return of the games in Europe is a pleasant news for sure.
But let's take a look to the history of this kind of exhibition games.
For the first time NHL games were played in Europe back in 1938 between eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens and were named European tour. Nine exhibition games were played in England and France from April 21 till May 14, the Montreal Canadiens won the series 5–3–1 (won-lost-tied). But the first attempts to bring NHL teams to Europe were made much more earlier, in 1924 by Frank Patrick, the head coach of the Vancouver Maroons, in 1932 by his brother Lester Patrick, the head coach of the New York Rangers, and in 1935 by Leo Dandurand, the general manager of the Canadiens. Any of their plans didn’t materialize.
The second European tour took place in England, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany and Austria in 1959, after a 21-year-long break. This tour was organized not by the teams, but by Swiss player Othmar Delnon to show the NHL hockey to European public. Boston Bruins played against New York Rangers 23 times between April 29 and May 24, games were played almost every day and Rangers won this marathon 11–9–3 (won-lost-tied). Its useful to note that famous Bobby Hull made this trip, too, replacing the Rangers forward Andy Bathgate. Unfortunately, tickets were too expensive, attendance was low and, in addition, people in Europe didn’t like the hard-hitting style of play.
NHL’s game in Europe had a long break again to come back to this continent in 1980 for the 5 games (one between NHL teams Washington Capitals and Minnesota North Stars and four against Swedish teams AIK Stockholm and Djurgården Stockholm). The break had the same length as the previous one, 21 year, but with the one difference: in the first case there were no other events during this break, and in the second some Super Series and tours were played during this 21 year, but not in Europe.
The 1980 NHL-Sweden tournament became the first event of that type in Sweden, it was sponsored by the Scandinavia's largest newspaper Dagens Nyheter. By the way, Swedish AIK Stockholm and Djurgården didn’t even made the playoffs the previous season. Minnesota North Stars and Washington Capitals participated as NHL teams and won the series defeating Swedish teams in all four games. The only game between North Stars and Capitals finished with the Washington’s win 4–3 in the second OT.
A year later NHL discovered also another European hockey country, Finland. Two games took place in Helsinki and Oulu, New York Rangers faced Helsingin IFK (HIFK) as the first game in the tournament and Washington Capitals played against Oulun Kärpät as the last game in the tournament. Rest of the games were played in Sweden (Stockholm and Gothenburg), AIK Stockholm, Frölunda Gothenburg and Djurgården Stockholm faced both Rangers and Capitals. The only game between NHL teams was won by the Rangers 4-1. NHL teams lost to European teams just three games of nine in total and won the series, which was played from September 17 till September 24, 1981.
NHL games in Europe continued with the 1989 Calgary Flames–Washington Capitals European tour of twelve games played between NHL teams and local hockey clubs, but Flames and Capitals didn’t met each other. Also it was the first “mixed” tour with both European and USSR teams, and a very important event for the Flames’ forward Sergei Pryakhin, the first Soviet player allowed to play in the NHL by the government of his country. The tour started Sep. 10-11 with two games between Calgary Flames and Czechoslovakia national team both won by the Czechoslovakia, continued in Sweden with the two Washington Capitals games against Färjestad BK and Brynäs IF (Capitals recorded 1-1), and followed by a trip around USSR until Sep. 21. Flames played against Khimik Voskresensk, Sokol Kiev (photo gallery of the Flames' traning session), Krylya Sovetov Moscow (the team Pryakhin played for during all his USSR career) and CSKA Moscow (Calgary lost just the last game to CSKA), Rangers faced Spartak Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, Dinamo Riga and SKA Leningrad (lost to Dynamo Moscow). NHL teams won the tour 7-5.
The next European tournament in 1990 was much more shorter - 4 games on September 6-14 in Düsseldorf, West Germany and Graz, Austria. Teams from the NHL have played in West Germany for the first time in history in 1990. St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers had a short camp in Germany before they played against Düsseldorfer EG, the Champion of the Bundesliga, and met each other (St. Louis won).
Then Blues returned home while Oilers moved to Austria and won the game against Graz EC.
The second mixed European tour (Sweden/USSR), also named "Friendship Tour '90" was played September 10-19, 1990 and became the first one NHL teams lost (4-5 win-loss in total). Montreal Canadiens spent part of their training camp in Sweden and faced AIK Stockholm, then moved to USSR to play against SKA Leningrad/Torpedo Yaroslavl joint squad, Dinamo Riga, Dynamo Moscow, CSKA Moscow and won 3 of 5 games played. Minnesota North Stars played against Spartak Moscow, Krylya Sovetov Moscow, Khimik Voskresensk, Sokol Kiev and won just 1 games of 4 played.
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