Expansion is on everyone’s mind, and many wonder about global expansion. The NHL should consider another version of the American Hockey League as a good stepping stone.
The recent news is that the NHL is expanding its foothold in Europe, specifically Germany. The country will host more games in the future as the league builds off the Global Series and the growing interest in hockey in Europe.
It’s part of a growing trend to expand the NHL’s foothold. In 2025, the NHL established European headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, which raised the antennas of many hockey fans. What is the league trying to accomplish by adding offices in Switzerland?
The NHL wants to build off the Global Series and add more regular-season games to more European cities. Eventually, the league might look to add a team, or a few teams, in Europe, although that’s an ambitious goal.
A good bridge is for the NHL to have its version of the American Hockey League (which they might rename the European Hockey League). Specifically, the NHL should consider a league in Europe that both develops prospects and has journeymen veterans, but also has passionate fans of those teams who will root for them regardless of the NHL affiliation.
The Argument For The NHL To Attempt This
There’s no specific method for the NHL to build an AHL-style league in Europe. However, it accomplishes a lot for the league. For one, it’s a good way for the league to handle the mass exodus of AHL veterans who head overseas. Many argue that the overseas product is better with the vets in it while the AHL worsens. So, this would allow players who want to head overseas for the lifestyle and money to still play under an NHL-run team.
This would also become a great bridge for the prospects in Europe. Say a top prospect from Sweden isn’t NHL-ready and needs time to develop. They can play in their home country while learning a pro system or the system that the NHL team runs. Likewise, prospects typically need time to acclimate to North America before they are ready for the NHL; spending time in Europe can help many with the process.
The prospect angle is better if NHL teams have affiliates. They can keep a closer eye on their prospects and have coaches from their organization running everything. While call-ups wouldn’t be possible (or unlikely because of the travel), it would be another method to develop prospects that can make them better players.
This would also be a great way to grow the game and fan bases in Europe. The San Jose Sharks have a strong foothold in Germany, notably because of their owner, who has pushed for more games in Germany. If they add an affiliate in a big German market like Munich, it would build up a bigger following of Sharks fans and thus, more money for the franchise.
How The NHL Can Make This Work
This is an idea that’s getting thrown out there in the middle of August (when there’s no hockey and we can think about things like this). There are many possibilities for how the NHL can pull off an AHL in Europe.
One idea is for every NHL team to establish a market or a team as their European affiliate. That might sound like a lot of cities, but throughout Europe, there are at least 32 that would be willing to host and have the arenas to do so.
Like the AHL in previous eras, the league can also have independently run teams that compete against NHL teams. A European-run team would have a stronger desire to add veteran talent and spend more to defeat the NHL-run teams, or they can prioritize winning while developing in the process (this would be fun if Nestle owned a team in Switzerland that became the European equivalent of the Hershey Bears).
Another option is in the middle, where the teams are European-owned but have NHL teams running the hockey operations. This would allow the teams to market to their fans while the NHL team builds the rosters and develops the prospects.
A more ambitious goal would be for NHL teams to buy and run multiple European teams. This would be a throwback to previous eras when professional teams would have multiple minor league teams (this happened in hockey but also baseball, notably with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1910s and 1920s). This is a trend that could start with one team, but then other teams would copy them since they would have an advantage when it came to scouting and developing European talent.
The NHL Would Need Europe On Board
The NHL is hoping to expand its influence in Europe. However, historically, the two have been at odds, especially the NHL and the IIHF. The relationship has improved over the years, but building an AHL equivalent is still a long way off.
The teams in the SHL, Liiga, and the other overseas leagues also wouldn’t be on board with this. Whether it’s building a rival league or taking over teams in these leagues to form a big NHL-run league, it’s not something these teams will view as competition that can take fans away from their teams.
The Russian element is also a thorn in the NHL’s side. The ongoing war in Ukraine leaves Russia out of international competitions, and the NHL won’t play games, much less add teams to Russian markets in the meantime.
For the NHL, this is something they can start considering as the next frontier for growing the game. While many European teams and markets are against it, all they need is 32 that are interested.
What do you think about an AHL-equivalent in Europe? Feel free to comment below with the pros, cons, and possible obstacles the league might encounter.
