“My opinion is that NHL is stupid and greedy. NHL has a great chance to promote the game and asking money for practice makes people angry. Tickets for the games are expensive so practices should be free.”
-Finnish journalist Pekka Jalonen on the NHL charging to watch the Winnipeg Jets and Florica Panthers practice while in Finland. Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun has more.
Below, the press release on this topic the NHL sent out earlier today.
NEW YORK/TORONTO/HELSINKI (Aug. 3, 2018) – As part of the 2018 NHL Global Series™, the National Hockey League (NHL®), the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and Live Nation today announced a special opportunity for fans to attend Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets team practices on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. EET at Hartwall Arena.
With a qualifying €50 purchase of hockey equipment made at XXL and www.xxl.fi between now and Wednesday, Aug. 15, fans will receive a code for the opportunity to redeem a free open practice ticket and the opportunity to purchase additional tickets for €20 each, while supplies last. Please go to www.xxl.fi for full promotion terms and conditions. Tickets to Panthers and Jets practices for the general public will be available for purchase at a fan-friendly price of €20 beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. EET at www.LiveNation.fi. Ticket opportunities are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
In January, the NHL announced the Panthers and Jets would play in regular-season games in Europe as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series™, and in March, tickets to their two games in Helsinki sold out within minutes of going on sale. The Panthers and Jets will face off at Hartwall Arena on Thursday, Nov. 1 and Friday, Nov. 2, with both games scheduled for 8 p.m. EET. Viasat and Viaplay will locally broadcast the 2018 NHL Global Series™, which is sponsored by adidas, SAP, XXL, Telia, Nocco, Scandic Hotels, Audi, Samsung, Blaklader, Hankook and Grano.
The 2018 NHL Global Series™ will mark the seventh season the NHL has traveled to Europe to play regular-season games. These games reward the legion of loyal and passionate international fans by featuring some of the NHL’s biggest stars and generating interest in the League worldwide. The two games in Helsinki between the Panthers and Jets will be the 24th and 25th NHL regular-season games played in Europe, and the fifth and sixth such games played in Finland, all of which have been played at Hartwall Arena. The 2018 NHL Global Series™ games in Helsinki will be played almost one month after the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers play a regular-season game in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Oct. 6.
The NHL is a global League, with approximately 26 percent of NHL players having been born outside of North America. In November, Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov as well as Jets forward Patrik Laine will be playing in their home country of Finland for the first time as NHL players.
Florida was one of four NHL teams that traveled to Europe to play in the NHL Premiere Games in 2009. In two games to open their season in Helsinki, the Panthers traded victories with the Chicago Blackhawks at Hartwall Arena. Winnipeg will be making its international regular-season debut in November.
More information on the 2018 NHL Global Series™ will be announced at a later date. As part of the League’s six international sites, NHL.com/sv, NHL.com/fi and NHL.com/de will serve as the official home for all of the latest news and information about the 2018 NHL Global Series™ as well as other features from around the NHL.
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
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