Canucks and Ducks begin next season in Tokyo
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The National Hockey League announced Wednesday that the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Vancouver Canucks will open the 1997-98 regular season with two games in Japan.
The series, entitled Game ONe Japan, will take place at Yoyogi Arena in Tokyo on October 4 and 5, 1997. Both games will begin at noon local time (11 p.m. ET in the United States). The series name is a takeoff on the NHL's promotional slogan "Game On".
"Game ONe Japan will be the great beginning to a historic season for the National Hockey League," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "With the Canucks and Mighty Ducks opening their regular season in Japan, we are officially introducing our game to the Pacific Rim, building excitement and anticipation around the Olympic Games in Nagano and establishing a foundation with the growing Japanese player and fan base."
Anaheim left wing Paul Kariya, one of the star players expected to compete in the series, is of Japanese descent.
The 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano will feature NHL players participating for the first time. The NHL previously announced it will interrupt its 1997-98 season for several weeks to allow its stars to compete in the Olympics.
Bettman introduced the series Wednesday at a news conference in Vancouver. The series will be a cooperative venture of the NHL, Dentsu Sports marketing, the Japan Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL Players Association.
The NHL will not be the first professional sports league to stage a game in Japan. Several NBA teams have staged regular season games in Japan and the NFL has played preseason games there.
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