Blackhawks to open 2009 NHL season in Helsinki

For the third consecutive season, the National Hockey League is sending teams to Europe to open the regular season, and this time the Blackhawks are headed overseas.

Joining the Blackhawks on the October trip will be the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks and Panthers will play home-and-home games Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, in Helsinki, Finland, at Hartwall Areena. On those same dates, the Red Wings and Blues will play a home-and-home series at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

Finland and Sweden are the top ranked countries in terms of overseas visitors to NHL.com, and the roster of the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings currently is comprised of numerous Swedish players - including captain Nicklas Lidstrom, 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom and Niklas Kronwall. The Blues boast a dynamic Swedish player of their own in center Patrik Berglund, a first-round draft pick of the team in 2006 and participant in the 2009 NHL YoungStars Game on the rookie team.

For the Blackhawks, they will be playing in Europe for the first time in 17 years. The Hawks played a two-game exhibition series against the Montreal Canadiens at London's Wembley Arena in September 1992.

"The NHL Premiere games are a signature event for the league, our players and our fans," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "Playing regular-season games overseas is an excellent way to further engage the passionate NHL fan base in Europe and encourage the growth of the game of hockey."

The NHL opened the 2008-09 regular season in Europe in front of capacity crowds when the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning played two games in Prague, Czech Republic, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators squared off in a two-game set in Stockholm.