The NHL is exploring expansion opportunities beyond North America.

• The NHL aims to leverage its worldwide appeal and enhance its presence in regions where it currently lacks prominence.
• This year's NHL Global Series featured the first two regular-season games of the 2024-25 season, which were played in Prague and Tampere, Finland.
• Expanding internationally leads to increased recruitment, a larger audience, and greater revenue and sponsorship prospects.

If everything proceeds as intended for the National Hockey League, its fan base will expand significantly beyond the borders of its home countries.

The NHL aims to leverage its global popularity and enhance its presence in countries where it currently has a weaker presence through various events occurring within and outside of the U.S. and Canada.

The NHL Global Series has been held in Europe, with countries such as Sweden and Finland being the focus, and the first two regular-season games of the 2024-25 season were played in Prague and Tampere, Finland.

Bill Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner, stated that all four games were sold out.

Daly stated in an interview with CNBC that we believe our position in hockey, specifically in the NHL, is unique due to the international nature of the sport and our strong tradition of producing top-level players in Europe.

Several executives from teams that played in Europe this year expressed encouragement by the local support for American hockey teams.

In an interview, New Jersey Devils President Jake Reynolds stated that one of the most astonishing experiences for him was observing the vast number of international fans and Devils fans who were present on a global and worldwide scale.

Jumping the pond

The NHL Global Series has been around since 2017, with a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to that, regular-season games in Europe were held, and the NHL has a long history of playing exhibition games against local teams abroad.

The NHL hosts fan tours from Aug. 31 to Nov. 2 across Europe, allowing fans to engage with the league through games, prizes, and a glimpse of the Stanley Cup at select stops.

In February, the NHL will hold its inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament featuring league players from Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S. competing for their respective countries.

Since 2014, NHL players have been planning to participate in the Olympics for the first time in 2026. The aim is to increase their exposure on a global stage, which could benefit the league.

"The goal is to make the game as global as possible due to operating in a global economy," stated Rick Burton, a professor at Syracuse University and co-author of "Business the NHL Way: Lessons from the Fastest Game on Ice."

Burton stated, "You cannot assert that this game is exclusive to North Americans as it is not the case."

Burton stated that he would not be surprised if an NHL team or multiple teams were to launch in Europe in the future.

If it were to ever happen, Daly categorized the possibility as a longer-term play, but did not rule it out entirely.

The NHL has the potential to expand in Europe due to the growing interest in the sport, with approximately 30% of the league's players being European, as stated by Daly. This is evident from the positive response to the Global Series and the high attendance rates.

""It's really fun to go play hockey," Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito said, sometimes forgetting how enjoyable it is."

In the Finland games between the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers this season, players Aleksander Barkov and Roope Hintz, both of whom are Finnish, were featured. Meanwhile, during the New Jersey Devils' match against the Buffalo Sabres in the Czech Republic, both teams utilized their past and present Czech players.

Daly stated that we returned some excellent teams and European players to their respective home markets.

Greater leverage

Rewritten: By expanding the NHL's reach beyond the U.S. and Canada, the league will gain more leverage in its future media rights negotiations, as advised by Irwin Kishner, a partner at Herrick Feinstein who specializes in sports law, media rights, and stadium financing.

""The more valuable the signal can be, the more you can drive on sponsorship, and the more you can pay for players, the richer the league becomes," Kishner said."

The NHL's current media rights deal expires in 2027-28, and if recent sports media rights trends continue, the league may also see a significant increase in its contract value. Live sports have been a key component of traditional pay-TV bundles, with media companies willing to pay a premium for the rights.

According to the collective bargaining agreement, revenue from international events such as the NHL Global Series goes towards the league's hockey-related revenue, which is split between the league and players.

There are also revenue opportunities at the individual team level through corporate sponsorships.

Brad Alberts, President of the Dallas Stars, expressed interest in forming a partnership with Nokia, a company with a significant presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and based in Finland. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils replaced their usual Prudential helmet decal with the international arm of Prudential, PGIM, during European games, as stated by Reynolds.

The NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association collaborate on all initiatives outside the U.S. and Canada.

The NHL and the NHLPA share a common goal in promoting hockey and increasing its popularity, despite their frequent disagreements during labor contract negotiations.

In private sector, when unions and businesses collaborate to expand a business, success is often achieved, as stated by NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh in an interview.

Although the league's primary focus is on Europe, there is significant interest in other markets.

The NHL played its first preseason games in the Southern Hemisphere between the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes prior to the 2023 season. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights, a relatively new team in the league, have invested in expanding its fan base in Latin America.