When the NHL started playing regular-season games overseas, a segment of league pundits, players, etc., viewed the trip as something of a “season-killer,’’ a travel and jet-lag burden that would require weeks of recovery. That notion has pretty much been tossed out over the past three seasons, given that the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have won the last three Stanley Cups after starting their respective seasons in Europe.
Did the “season-killer’’ tag ever hold water, though? Teams have been playing overseas exhibition games (in September and October) since 1980, when the Washington Capitals and Minnesota North Stars played a round-robin tournament in Sweden. The first regular-season games took place in 1997, when the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Vancouver Canucks played in Japan.
From 1997-2010, 19 teams played regular-season games overseas (the Ducks, Sharks and Penguins went twice). So among those 22 teams, only 9 times did a team improve its point total from the previous season. Thirteen times, a team had a worse record, when starting its season overseas, than the previous season. For instance, in 2009-10, the Blackhawks improved their point total from 104 to 112 and won the Cup. The same season, the Panthers started overseas and went from 93 points to 77.
Of course, there might be exactly zero science behind this, but it’s been a topic of discussion for years and I’d never seen the actual numbers. One last thought… Could it be that West Coast teams suffer more? The Kings, Ducks, Sharks, Canucks and Coyotes have combined to start seven seasons overseas. Only the Kings, in 2007-08, posted a point improvement after starting the season overseas, and it was a modest improvement, from 68 points to 71. The other six teams all dipped in points. A coincidence? Too many other factors? Or a product of tougher West Coast travel?
The teams that won the cup did so with the coaching, players, trainers and fans. I don’t think its relevant where their first few games were played. I do think that it can hurt a team though. Hockey isn’t an easy sport, on top of that, the players have to adjust to a greater dose of jetlag?
Don’t over extend your self, NHL. Focus on getting more attention in the states, especially in California, where palm trees equal to “What the hell is hockey?”
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PaganHagen Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
@Mikey, I agree. It seems every season i end up taking someone to a game who’s never seen a hockey game in their life. This also includes my girlfriend who a few years ago didn’t even know LA had a hockey team. Now tho she is a HUGE Kings fan, and fell in love with the sport the first game i took her to.
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Mikey Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
@PaganHagen, YES! i’ve taken many people over the years and you’ve become die-hard fans. I took my gf as well.. That kind of back fired on me. She fell in love with Parros and i never heard the end of it. Now, i root for Westgarth with embarrassing passion to punch Parros’s mustache off
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MyKay Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@PaganHagen, my girlfriend was a ducks fan.. we broke up!!
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Brent Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
@MyKay, Female Ducks fans don’t even make it to girlfriend status. They were dropped as soon as that factoid appeared in conversation. I have never regretted this.
Hockeysureshot Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
@Mikey, Good point. Watched some games on Center Ice tonight and there were tons of empty seats in Dallas and Columbus.
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Jet-lag exists going from/to the east/west coasts too. So it would be somewhat interesting to see how teams fared when starting their seasons on an extended trip cross-country.
In other words, there’s perhaps something to the notion that long road trips early in a season have a different impact on a team than teams who start out with a bulk of games at home.
And of course, correlation is one thing, cause and effect are another entirely.
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StillneedDewey FKA PakiFro Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@wavesinair,
Lets see how the Southeast division does with back to games in Tampa and Atla…err…Winnipeg.
That’ll be interesting.
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Yes.
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It’s true that three teams in a row that went won the Cup but it’s also true other that went didn’t.
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@KOHO, I agree. For every team that went that won, there was a team that went that didn’t win.
I say the 3 that recovered to win the cup had the depth to recover, but it didn’t stop all 6 teams from hurting early. Their records would of been even better if they didn’t go on losing streaks, and lackluster play to start the season.
The Kings will probably have to shake it off at some point, but I wish we didn’t have too.
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Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
@Dominick, But there are 26 teams that stayed in North America and zero won the cup the past 3 years. Of the teams that went to Europe 25 % won the cup and 0% of the teams that stayed won.
I say don’t send the teams overseas (except Japan) because the travel is too much for the teams that go, but I can’t make that argument when the pass 3 cup winners have come from the Europe trip.
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USHA#17 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
@Osaka,
Yes but of the group that advanced how many were from the far west of the country?
Choralone Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
@KOHO, Still, the pool that went overseas is obviously much smaller than the entire league – it’s impressive that a cup winner arose from that group each time and a strong argument that in the end the travel didn’t matter.
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KOHO Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@Choralone,
I hear you but none of those teams that won travel as far as the Kings do which makes our situation unique to other teams.
I hope we can be the 4th in a row as I have a $150 on a 10/1 bet in Vewas on it!
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Andrew Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
@KOHO, Where is Vewas
Kingsfanone Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@Andrew,
Vewas, 12th planet from the Sun, a gas giant.
If the first 20 games are brutal and don’t make it out of the first round you can bet everybody is going to point at the european trip as the thing that did us in
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tornado12 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
@murf, if we lose in NJ and PHI coming up, I will blame it on the travel (at least partly)
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
@tornado12, I already blame the travel for the loss against Buffalo. LOL
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tornado12 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@Dominick, I couldnt think of a better reason either for that loss
murf Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
@tornado12, agree somewhat jet lag can definitely take its toll on the body ,on the other hand starting with that much travel should make this team a tighter knit group
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tornado12 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
@murf, true dat! if we can pull out at least 2 points in the next 2 games it will be a moral victory if anything else.
RobSD Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
@murf,
With as good as this team should be… this should mean nothing. The effects of this trip will wear off in two weeks at most. So what is that 5 games maybe? Even if we lost all 5 there will still be 75 games to go.
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Jeff Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@RobSD, I agree with this. We can’t predict how they will do, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes til November til we see the real Kings.
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USHA#17 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
@Jeff,
Think your right. Entire preseason seemed like a cluster f,,,
First two games looked like all the cylinders weren’t firing. On the ice and behind the bench.
PP Anybody? Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@murf, I will be pointing at Terry Murray, not at a couple games in Europe.
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Even if a Europe trip shoots down your October due to jet lag…there is still plenty of time to get your legs back and do well.
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
@deelo, Absolutely.
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Stagger Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
@deelo,
Well said.
Let’s all hope we peak at the END of the year this year.
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Age would have to be a factor. Travel is harder on the elderly.
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Bill M. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@quisp, “elderly”? Ryan Smyth isn’t on the team anymore
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tornado12 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
@quisp, but you said AGE could no longer be an excuse for this team
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Kingsfanone Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
@tornado12,
Not an excuse, but a factor!
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I’ve mentioned this before. Dang, you’ve got to feel for Winnipeg. This year will be just brutal for them until the divisions are realigned. They’d have been happy to start overseas for 2 games if they could have played games in their division within an hours flight of home.
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petemagoop Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@Donald_S, http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/not-so-frequent-flyers-130417738.html
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@ Rich, out of topic: Do you think teams like LA, Ducks, SJS will get a chance of playing in the Winter Classic someday…These teams can travel and play teams like DET, CHI, PIT, etc…I think this idea would be great if NHL wants more exposure in the west coast..your thoughts?
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Shotongoal Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
@lakingsphan0427, day-night Winter Classic doubleheader. East coast game in the morning, Kings-Ducks at Dodger Stadium under the lights….Pipedream I know, but it would be cool!
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DesertKing Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@Shotongoal,
Mount snow making machines all around the top of the stadium and fire them up.
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Bill M. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@DesertKing, Leave them there for the Dodgers games too, I say. Might make for SOMETHING interesting to happen at a dodgers game…
Kopi Bryant Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
@Shotongoal, I’ll be there!
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Winners win, losers make excuses……
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Choralone Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
@Shotongoal, Pretty much.
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Michael J. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
@Shotongoal,
“Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.”
― John Wooden
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I think you could do a study on which teams opened the season on a weekday vs a weekend and come up with an analysis equally random. While I think the Kings (and their fans) got shafted on this, I refuse to believe it is going to mean anything as the season progresses.
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RobSD Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
@rick,
Well said…
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the only thing this prooves is that the travel isnt an excuse to not win the cup, since teams still won when they did the trip
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Bill M. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
@ashykins, This. you can never statistically come up with anything that really suggests a European start is a kiss of life. But I think 3 cups in a row is enough to prove that it isn’t a kiss of death.
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I honestly think the travel isn’t the real factor here on why some teams do well and others don’t. I think people are forgetting why teams do well and others don’t, it’s called the coaches and the players. If you have good coaches and good players, it doesn’t matter where you start the season or your travel schedule. Someone brought up Winnipeg’s brutal schedule. Please no one say that the schedule is why Winnipeg will have a bad season. The real reason? It’s just a friggin’ horrible hockey team. The fact that three teams in the last three years have gone over seas and to the Cup finals is proof that it’s the team and coaching staff that makes a season, not your schedule.
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Since the NHL is not going to expand to Europe I don’t see any reason to play there. Wast of money.
I would much rather see them play in Oklahoma, Nova Scotia, Utah, Washington State, Alaska or Saskatchewan….
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DesertKing Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@empire,
It would be nice to see teams in large population centers like Atlanta and Phoenix.. oh, wait, uh, never mind….
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Sebastian Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
@empire, well, theyre not trying to sell Europeans a team, theyre trying to sell them merchandise and maybe broadcasting rights.
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tacomakingsfan Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
@empire, +1 on the Washington State!!! Seattle Thunderbirds are fun to watch but not like a NHL team.
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I think you can’t underestimate the on and off
team bonding that can go a long way..
Considering we have a few new player’s this year..
Chemistry happens as much off the ice…IMO…
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Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@SLIM, This is a benefit most overlook. Of course the travel is bad but the past 3 cup winners have come from teams that have gone on the Europe trip, obviously there are some benefits to making the trip.
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USHA#17 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
@Osaka, Beer and your job is between five and nine time zones away.
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West-coast teams already get the crap end of travel. They travel significantly more miles during the course of a season, and it does strike me as being unreasonably burdensome to add an additional 20K miles in the first week. Furthermore, west-coast teams have an additional 3 times zones to adjust to when they return from a trip to Europe.
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The real stats! O.K. guys here’s a look at both sides of the coin.
Last season along with Boston,
Carolina, Minnesota, Columbus, Pheonix, and San Jose all started in Europe.
Note:Columbus fired their coach by feb., and Minnesota by april.
The season before along with Chicago,
Florida, St.Louis, Detroit.
Note:Florida, and St.Louis didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Andy Murray was fired.
The season before that along with Pittsburgh,
Tampa Bay, New York, Ottawa
Note:all 4 teams that went fired their coaches by febuary.
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DesertKing Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@Dominick,
Dang, how does Dom do that?
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@DesertKing, Those Euro trips have produced 3 Stanley Cup winners, but they’ve also produced 7 fired coaches the last 3 years also.
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Bill M. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Dominick, Don’t most of the fans claim to want BOTH of those things?
CB14 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
@Bill M., I do!
Bill M. Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
@Dominick, Sooooo you’re saying that Terry Murray’s time is almost up?
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KingsGuy Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@Dominick, Thanks for the stats…
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SLIM Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
@Dominick,
Were about to add another to that list…
The question is…What list will it be?
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Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
@Dominick, But none of the teams that went to Europe won the cup.
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
@Osaka, Boston, Chicago, and Pittsburgh did.
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Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
@Dominick, I meant to say none of the teams that didn’t go to Europe won the cup.
Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
@Dominick, That is like saying the 4 teams with the worst record in the league last year didn’t go to Europe.
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Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
@Osaka, They didn’t. lol
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Osaka Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
@Dominick, Again, I was typing without my morning coffee, almost as bad as drinking and posting.
I meant to say the 4 teams with the worst records in the league last year didn’t go to Europe, if we are drawing conclusions you have to say their records were so bad because they didn’t go on the trip.
Dominick Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
@Osaka,
Stats don’t lie though. 14 teams have went to Europe in the last 3 years, and 7 of those coaches have been fired midway through the same season. all 7 coaches didn’t even make it to the end of the season.
Just sayin since some believe it’s good luck since 3 of the Cup winners the last 3 years started in Europe, and won.
3/14 won the cup.
7/14 kiss of death.
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love the Wooden quote. Sums it up.
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Off topic, but thought it was funny. http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/_/name/la/los-angeles-kings
Looks like our PP is up boys! Too bad PK is down, lol…
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Forget about Europe, bring the NHL back to Japan!
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Jetlag should be a non factor seeing as the kings have from Sunday to Thursday to readjust. They overseas trip should be no excuse for any future loss.
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Not buying into the travel excuses. Just get it done and leave the excuse making to the losers.
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HockeyOnly Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
@KC23, I don’t know if you’ve ever made the long trip from SoCal to Europe and then played the day after you arrived, but I have and infact we played 4 games in five nights in four different cities and it was a ball buster.
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Overseas games are great ideas to promote NHL in Europe!
There are lots fans there who have this only chance to see some of the great teams!
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From the travel part of it yeah it’s a killer especially for the Kings but I look at it from the team perspective. Getting on a plane and traveling hours and hours together, then going from place to place somewhere in between there’s gotta be time to get to know each other better especially the new guys.
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I think most of the players don’t like the trip so the travel is an issue, if they loved going and playing in Europe it would be no issue.
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I believe there are potential pros and cons. The idea of starting the season on a long trip and boost early season chemistry and help a team get off to a fast start as some teams may come out of camp a little more sluggishly.
The flip side of this is that a fast start can result is fatigue further down the stretch. The fatigue factor may be more likely, but one would think that professional athletes are well conditoned enough and trained enough to indicate any lack of success would not be largely influenced by extra travel (especially for a west coast team that, frankly, should be somewhat used to it).
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First of all, why does the NHL need to sell the North American game to the Euros, they have their game and Canada and the U.S. have theirs. I know we’ve all heard this tune before but if the NHL really wanted to SELL the game they should work harder to do it in Canada and the U.S..
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I don’t have a problem with the NHL playing in Europe. But I do have a few major problems with the way it’s being done, especially this year. The NHL makes the west coast teams travel 12 hours to play in Europe, then makes them switch cities and play back to back games while their east coast opponents get to stay in their hotels and wait. And then on top of that the Kings are the “home” teams for both European games, thereby depriving us fans of 2 chances to see our team. It just seems like an east coast bias was at work when this schedule was developed and honestly I’m surprised the Kings agreed to it.
Playing in Europe is great. Just make the schedule fair to all teams involved.
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