NHL looks beyond U.S., Canada for league growth [Video]

If all goes according to plan for the National Hockey League, its popularity will continue growing well beyond the confines of the countries where its teams are based.

Through events both inside and outside the U.S. and Canada, the NHL believes it can capitalize on the global popularity of the sport of hockey and improve its standing in countries where the league does not yet have as strong of a foothold.

Much of that effort has so far centered on Europe, specifically countries such as Sweden and Finland where hockey is already a popular sport. The first two regular-season games of the 2024-25 season were played in Prague, followed by two more in November in Tampere, Finland, for this year’s …