With the success in the past couple years of opening games of the NHL season in European countries, the talk of European expansion seems more of a potential reality than a pipe dream.

Four teams opened the season overseas (the New York Rangers vs the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins vs the Ottawa Senators) to great fanfare to the point where Sens owner Eugene Melnyk supported the idea of expansion.

It’s happening, it’s going to happen,” Eugene Melnyk told a small group of reporters before Sunday’s Senators-Penguins game at Globe Arena. “A question of time, a question of how we can set up a schedule, but you can see here in Sweden, fan response been absolutely … almost as crazy as us Canadians.

“In Gothenburg, crazier than anywhere.  In Sweden, it’s absolutely wild. They consider it one of national sports. There are other countries where the product can be marketed. We can take a run at it… My vote’s in for European expansion.”

If the NHL is serious (and appears to be, with eight teams possibly making the trip next year), NHL Europe could be set as it’s own division (maybe Conference depending on the number of teams).  Most of the games could be played among these teams, and each could do a 10-15 game swing through Canada and the U.S.  Alternately, the North American teams can take turns swinging through Europe.  Each season, maybe 6 teams would take the same 10-15 game schedule.  It could work.

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