NEW YORK, New York – NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has announced a bold new phase in the NHL Europe expansion, revealing that the league will add four new teams as early as 2027, all of them located overseas in hot-weather climates.

Bettman Confirms Global Teams in NHL Europe Expansion

According to Bettman, the new Global Division will feature the Dubai Dynamos, the Madrid Matadores, the Rome Gladiators, and the Riyadh Royals. He says the NHL Europe expansion reflects a “global growth mindset,” adding that the league has been drifting into warmer climates since the ’90s, so this is only the logical next step.

Stadium preparations are already underway in each city. Rome is developing the Colosseum Ice Palace, where workers will close the ancient structure at night and convert it into a rink, keeping with the building’s history of hosting wildly impractical events.

Dubai is planning the Burj Al Hockey Arena, a skyscraper that will double as both the world’s tallest ice rink and yet another absurdly tall hotel. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Arena will feature air conditioning in every seat and a zamboni powered by premium unleaded.

Madrid will keep it humble by converting part of Real Madrid’s stadium into an ice palace. In this NHL Europe expansion, the new teams will not follow the traditional 82-game NHL schedule.

New Teams Play Half-Season Under Expansion Plan

Each team will instead play 41 games, half a standard season, including 11 matchups against each divisional opponent. After completing those games, the teams will fly to North America for eight more contests: four in Canada and four in the United States.

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Global Division teams for two games each, before the trip wraps up with two games against the Florida Panthers and two against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The twist is that whichever Global Division team finishes with the best record earns a spot in the NHL playoffs.

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This ensures the nhl europe expansion becomes part of the high-stakes postseason chaos rather than just a novelty sideshow. Ticket sales are strong in three of the four cities, with Madrid fans hesitating only long enough to see how Real Madrid performed in its latest showdown with Barcelona.

Asked whether the NHL might change its name to reflect this worldwide footprint, Bettman shrugged. “Why? We already have two nations represented.”