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PRAGUE -- The NHL might bring more games to Europe in the future and play some later in the season, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Friday.
The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks opened the NHL regular season at O2 Arena in Prague on Friday as part of the 2022 NHL Global Series. They will play here again Saturday (2 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSCA, BSSO).
These are the first regular-season games the NHL has held outside North America since 2019, because the League was unable to play overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're thrilled to be back, and in particular, we're thrilled to be back in Prague," Daly said. "It's such a beautiful city with great and warm people. We love coming here."
[RELATED: More NHL Global Series coverage ]
The Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 4-5 as part of the 2022 NHL Global Series. Those will be the 37th and 38th games the NHL has held outside North America since 1997.
NHL regular-season games overseas always took place in September or October until 2017, when the League played in Europe in November for the first time. The League returned to Europe in November in 2018 and 2019.
Daly said he thinks the League will do something similar in the short term, but that could change later.
"Our clubs are protective of their regular seasons, and we have to work with them and be collaborative with them," Daly said. "But I could see us expanding that window, bringing more games to Europe potentially later in the season."
The NHL plans to keep showcasing teams in Europe rather than base them here.
"I don't anticipate that any time in the short term that we'd be bringing teams here permanently or having teams in Europe," Daly said. "But we think that these events have helped us connect better with our fans in Europe and allow them to experience players that these countries produce. It's been very positive for us, for our brand and for our business."
Asked about the future of games in the Czech Republic, Daly said no decisions have been made about games in Europe next season. He praised O2 Arena and Prague.
"It's an NHL-size arena," Daly said. "There's a big passion for the sport in Prague and in Czechia generally, which makes it a very attractive option for us going forward. So I certainly expect that we'll continue to bring games to Prague."
Daly said the World Cup of Hockey continues to be a work in progress. The NHL met Friday with Alois Hadamczik, the new president of the Czech Ice Hockey Association, and will meet with other parties about the World Cup over the next couple of days.
"It's still our intention to aim for a tournament in February of '24," Daly said. "We're working through the details of what that looks like."
The NHL expects to have eight countries in the tournament.
"The question is whether we can stage a qualifying tournament to earn the last spots, whether that's two spots or three spots," Daly said. "That's one of the things that we're debating as part of the details."
Russia would not be part of the tournament today due to the war in Ukraine. The NHL will continue to monitor the situation.
"We understand that there is a certain discomfort, and we share that discomfort, with including the Russian team at this time," Daly said.
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