An historic number of NHL clubs playing international games highlights the National Hockey League’s 2010-11 pre-season schedule, the dates and start times of which were announced today. Six clubs -- the Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets -- will play a total of seven games throughout Europe as they prepare to open the regular season overseas in the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere.
While other teams won’t play in such exotic locations as Russia or Sweden, there will be some other games outside of NHL cities during the preseason. Here is more from NHL.com.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks open their pre-season schedule Sept. 22 with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the hometown of Blackhawks captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP Jonathan Toews.
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The people of Dundas, Ontario, winners of the Canada-wide Kraft Hockeyville contest, will celebrate the grand prize when the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators play a pre-season game in their community Sept. 28.
The schedule features several other contests that will be played outside NHL cities, including Las Vegas, Nev. (Colorado vs. Los Angeles, Oct. 2); London, Ont. (Philadelphia vs. Toronto, Sept. 23); Rochester, N.Y. (Boston vs. Florida, Sept. 23); Quebec City, Que. (Montreal vs. NY Islanders, Oct. 2) and Saskatoon, Sask. (Calgary vs. NY Islanders, Sept. 29).