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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, in his 32 Thoughts column on Dec. 21, famous how the NHL is seeking to play the Global Series in Munich, Germany subsequent season. The collection has taken off in current seasons and has been a hit for the league, with followers abroad clamoring to see NHL groups and a number of the star gamers who get to play in entrance of their house nation.
In the 32 Thoughts Podcast with Jeff Marek, the 2 mentioned briefly the groups that take advantage of sense to play in subsequent season’s occasion, particularly if it takes place in Germany. The groups mentioned both had present German stars on their groups or had a historical past of star gamers from the nation, making them very best groups to make the journey.
With the Global Series probably increasing and the World Junior Championship in full swing, it’s fascinating to consider which matchups the NHL might present for each nation. Some groups have a novel historical past with a given nation, and it’s solely becoming that they play within the video games consequently.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
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This season, the video games occurred in Sweden. It was becoming that the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Minnesota Wild, 4 groups with iconic Swedish gamers, each from the previous and the current, had been the groups that confronted off in opposition to each other. So, let’s have a look at the nations that may host the collection sooner or later and what the matchups could possibly be in these nations.
Czechia: Bruins vs Sharks
The most outstanding participant to come back from Czechia in recent times is David Pastrnak. The Boston Bruins’ top-line ahead has made his mark as probably the greatest skaters within the NHL with 321 objectives and 341 assists in his profession. Pastrnak’s homecoming can be a necessity, and on high of that, the group acquired Pavel Zacha within the 2022 offseason. The Bruins make all of the sense to play within the nation, however the query is, who would they play? The San Jose Sharks are within the reverse convention, however they’re the very best match. Tomas Hertl has turn into one of many faces of the franchise in current seasons and is the one participant from Czechia to have 700 NHL video games underneath his belt.
Czechoslovakia: Bruins vs Blackhawks
Jaromir Jagr performed for almost a 3rd of the groups (9, to be actual) in his 24-year profession within the NHL. So technically, loads of groups can match the invoice for a doable matchup, particularly the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom Jagr performed 11 seasons. Taking the legendary participant out of the combination, two different groups would supply an ideal matchup for Czechoslovakia.
The Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks are two Original Six groups who notably met within the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Along with the sport being a Stanley Cup rematch, the 2 groups had been house to a few of essentially the most iconic Czechoslovakian skaters in recent times. The Bruins captain and anchor of the protection through the 2010s was Zdeno Chara, whereas David Krejci was a key a part of the highest six. While Marian Hossa performed for 5 groups in 15 seasons, he spent his closing eight with the Blackhawks and helped them win three Cup titles.
The Blackhawks and Bruins are the primary two groups the league would need to ship abroad. That mentioned, the New Jersey Devils are additionally an intriguing possibility. Patrick Elias is likely one of the biggest gamers within the group’s historical past, enjoying his total 20-year profession with the Devils. Likewise, Ondrej Palat, who they signed within the 2022 offseason, is likely one of the gamers from Czechoslovakia at present on the group. Lastly, even with the Penguins missing a star from the nation in the meanwhile, they will all the time be the fourth group to make the journey and symbolize Jagr within the course of.
Denmark: Jets vs Kraken
Denmark isn’t a rustic that usually involves thoughts with loads of hockey historical past, and understandably so. Only 18 gamers within the NHL’s historical past have come from the nation. Despite the small quantity, there’s a unique and fun story about how hockey grew to become widespread not simply in Denmark however in a small city with a inhabitants underneath 100,000 (Herning) that produced 5 NHL gamers.
Frans Neilsen was the trailblazer and the longtime ahead for the New York Islanders, who paved the best way for Lars Eller, Nikolaj Ehlers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Frederik Andersen. With this in thoughts, there are just a few intriguing matchups for a sport in Denmark. The Islanders might make the journey, however two of the league’s high Danish gamers are on the Winnipeg Jets (Ehler) and the Seattle Kraken (Bjorkstrand), making them the 2 groups finest fitted to the journey.
Finland: Hurricanes vs Panthers & Predators vs Stars
There are loads of groups with Finnish ties, with the nation being one of many largest producers of NHL expertise from abroad. The NHL obtained it proper within the 2022-23 season because the Colorado Avalanche faced the Columbus Blue Jackets with the groups that includes two of the sport’s largest stars, Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine. So, if the league chooses to play there once more quickly, the 4 groups that stand out have a surplus of nice skaters from Finland.
The 2023 Eastern Conference matchup can be the proper one for Finland. The Carolina Hurricanes ahead unit is led by three of the very best gamers from Finland, with Sebastian Aho main the highest line, whereas Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Teuvo Teravainen are two viable scorers within the lineup. The Florida Panthers, who reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, had been led by Aleksander Barkov, probably the greatest two-way facilities within the league, and so as to add depth to their roster, they’ve Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola. A Hurricanes-Panthers sport wouldn’t solely be an intense matchup, however the two groups would discipline seven and presumably eight (if Antti Raanta is within the web) gamers from their house nation.
The Nashville Predators performed within the Global Series in Oct. 2022 in opposition to the Sharks, however they’re an ideal group to make one other journey abroad, particularly for a sport in Finland. Pekka Rinne is arguably the best participant within the nation, and he performed his total 15-year profession with the Predators. Rinne’s affect clearly rubbed off within the web as Juuse Saros grew to become his successor whereas Kevin Lankinen is the group’s backup. Along with a Finnish-heavy goaltending unit, the group has Juuso Parssinen, a 22-year-old ahead, including a spark to the offense.
The group the Predators would probably face can be their division rival, Dallas Stars, with three of their beginning defensemen calling the Scandinavian nation house. Esa Lindell, Jani Hakanpaa, and Miro Heiskanen lead the defensive unit, whereas Roope Hintz performs a big function within the high six. A Predators-Stars matchup can be a enjoyable one, and it will pair nicely with a Hurricanes-Panthers sport and supply the gang with two intense divisional video games.
Germany: Red Wings vs Senators & Oilers vs Sharks
The Detroit Red Wings performed the Ottawa Senators within the Global Series on Nov. 16, a sport the Senators took 5-4 in additional time. It’s unlikely the NHL would need to have a repeat matchup, however two of the very best German gamers within the league are on these Atlantic Division groups. It would solely be becoming for a two-way defenseman and 2022 Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider to go up in opposition to Tim Stutzle, a younger ahead with 80 objectives and 130 assists in 4 seasons.
A Red Wings-Senators matchup is a given, and equally, it will solely be acceptable for the very best German participant within the NHL to play in his house nation. Leon Draisaitl is arguably one of many 5 finest forwards within the NHL and won the Hart Trophy in 2020. He leads the Edmonton Oilers’ high-powered offense together with Connor McDavid, making them the best group to play in Germany in opposition to one in every of their Pacific Division rivals.
The Sharks aren’t the primary group to come back to thoughts relating to notable gamers from Germany. However, they’re a group with distinctive ties to the nation. Their proprietor, Hasso Plattner, grew up in Germany, and his firm SAP just isn’t solely the sponsor of the Sharks’ house enviornment but additionally one of many outstanding arenas in Germany, the SAP Arena in Mannheim. As a end result, they’d be an ideal group to play within the sport, particularly if they will play in opposition to the Oilers within the collection.
Sweden: Canucks vs Rangers & Flames vs Lightning
Sweden, like its neighboring Scandinavian nation Finland, has loads of historical past and loads of groups to select from to make the journey. The nation gave the NHL Nicklas Lidstrom, Borje Salming, Mats Sundin, and Daniel Alfredsson, simply to call just a few of the long-lasting gamers, and consequently, the league would possibly must make a number of journeys to Sweden.
The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are the subsequent two groups in line from a legacy standpoint. The Rangers’ offense is led by Mika Zibanejad, however their goaltending unit was led for over a decade by Henrik Lundqvist, one of many biggest in league historical past who was not too long ago inducted into the Hall of Fame. They would face the group they beat within the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, however not as a result of it’s a nostalgic rematch. The Canucks had been led for 17 seasons by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, with the 2 brothers serving to the group attain the Final in 2011. A bonus is that the Sedins appeared to go the torch of nice Swedish forwards, with Elias Pettersson rising as probably the greatest within the sport and main a resurgent group to the highest of the Western Conference.
Interestingly, a 2004 Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Calgary Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning additionally has greater than sufficient present gamers who symbolize Sweden. The Lightning have been fueled by the nice two-way play of defenseman Victor Hedman whereas the Flames captain, Mikael Backlund, and two of their high skaters, Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson are from the nation. The two groups would make for an ideal matchup and, higher but, would be capable to play the Canucks and Rangers as convention matchups to supply the followers with a number of video games in a single week.
Switzerland: Devils vs Predators
The New Jersey Devils seem to have a monopoly on Swiss expertise within the NHL. They chosen Nico Hischier as the primary general choose within the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and the two-way middle is now the group’s captain. Jonas Seigenthaler is a staple of their protection. At the 2023 commerce deadline, they acquired Timo Meier from the Sharks, and goaltender Akira Schmid additionally calls Switzerland his house.
The Devils can be the primary group in line to play in Switzerland, and it will make sense for them to face arguably the very best participant to come back from the nation, Predators’ defenseman Roman Josi. The 2020 Norris Trophy winner and fixed finalist for the award, Josi is wrapping up a exceptional profession, and he singlehandedly makes the Predators an ideal group to make the journey.
On a aspect notice, if the NHL ever makes the journey to Switzerland, they need to contemplate enjoying an outside sport within the Swiss Alps the identical method the league performed an outside sport at Lake Tahoe in 2021. If the league desires a selected location, St. Moritz, a ski resort metropolis that hosted the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics, is a good spot with the Kulm Olympic Ice Rink already in place.
Other Notes About Future Global Series Matchups
Both Latvia and Norway are within the World Juniors however sadly, don’t have loads of gamers at present within the NHL or a historical past of sending gamers to the league from their respective nations. However, contemplating the youth and prospects which have made their marks with Latvia and Norway, which may change quickly.
Likewise, the NHL has gone abroad to Europe however hasn’t performed within the different continents and certain gained’t till just a few nations begin producing NHL-level expertise. It can be nice to see the league develop the Global Series to South America, Asia, Africa, and even Australia, however for now, the concept doesn’t seem like a actuality. The NFL and MLB have notably performed around the globe in recent times, however the NHL has to seek out nations with ice hockey rinks in place and locations with hockey historical past.
Is there a matchup you want to see within the Global Series? Let us know within the feedback part under.
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