NHL announces international games, teams for 2018-19 season

The NHL Board of Governors announced Saturday the four teams that will play in the league's Global Series next season.

The Edmonton Oilers will face the New Jersey Devils in Sweden at the start of the year, while the Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers will play two games in November in Finland.

In addition, a couple of international preseason games are already scheduled, with more possibly on the way. The Oilers will play an exhibition game in Germany at the end of training camp, and the Devils will play one in Switzerland.

TSN's Darren Dreger also reports the NHL and NHLPA are trying to reach an agreement for a two-game series in China between the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins. The Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played two preseason matchups in China in September 2017.

This is all part of the NHL's continued effort to reach overseas audiences. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in November he hopes the league can put together a "predictable calendar" of international games each year.

"While we currently have worldwide sponsorship and advertising and licensing agreements, in order for us to really begin to grow the game internationally — which is great for fans who are following the game from outside North America in North America and encourages the continuing development of world-class players, Sweden being a great example — we need to have regular presence with events," Bettman said. "The international strategy doesn't work without major events, whether it's exhibition games against local clubs, preseason games, regular-season games, clinics and the like. That's something that we do in conjunction with the players' association, and that's something we're in discussions with them on and working on. But our hope is to establish a regular predictable calendar."