09/14/26 08:31:00
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09/14 08:29 CDT Germany's hockey league is upset at the NHL's plan to play
games there
Germany's hockey league is upset at the NHL's plan to play games there
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) --- The NHL is hosting its first regular-season games
in Germany in 15 years, but the German league isn't happy.
German Ice Hockey League managing director Gernot Tripcke has voiced
frustration, saying the NHL scheduled its games without discussing the dates
with his league and its teams, and arguing they should work together to promote
the sport.
"They announced their games in isolation, without consulting with the clubs,
with us or with the (German hockey federation). That conflicts with the
schedules of the 28 professional clubs here in Germany," Tripcke said in
comments published by the dpa news agency on Monday. "This is something you can
handle better."
The NHL announced in March it was playing two regular season games in
Duesseldorf in December, the first in Germany since a one-off 2011 contest.
Germany forward Tim Sttzle and the Ottawa Senators will play the Chicago
Blackhawks on Dec. 18 and 20, which are in-demand, pre-Christmas dates for
German teams, too.
The NHL said last month more games are scheduled for next year in Munich and
Cologne, with Leon Draisaitl's Edmonton Oilers among the teams playing.
Tripcke said he hadn't been contacted about those games, either, and called on
the NHL to work with German hockey organizations to create a "win-win
situation" for local clubs and the NHL.
The NHL has said it aims to "grow the game" in Germany along with the NHL
Players' Association, with a focus on grassroots events and fan engagement,
though details remain unclear.
"I don't know what they're doing around the games," Tripcke was quoted as
saying.
The Cologne-born Draisaitl has become the face of the NHL in Germany and
carried the country's flag at the Olympic opening ceremony this year after a
vote by German athletes and the public.
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