Another possibility emphasizing international club play could be to have a tournament using non-playoff NHL clubs and European clubs. European domestic leagues finish their playoffs before the NHL playoffs start. This would be a good time for the champions of the respective European domestic leagues to play in a tournament against non-playoff NHL clubs. An example would be, league champs from The Russian KHL, Swedish Elitserien, Finish SM-liiga, German DEL, and the Swiss Nationalliga could all play in a tournament against five other NHL teams. It could be called the Europe/NHL Challenge.
Although the timing wouldn’t be ideal (during the Stanley Cup Finals) this would be a good way to grow the game in Europe with competitive games and without the dispute over player participation that the World Championships has. The incentives of the tournament would be the draw for the clubs to participate. For NHL clubs it would be a chance at redemption for not making the Stanley Cup playoffs. It would also be an opportunity for recent signees from NCAA and CHL hockey to display their skills for their future NHL clubs. For NHL fans it would give them a chance to keep following their team. For European clubs it would be a chance to prove themselves as the best in Europe, and the best against NHL competition. For all clubs involved a monetary prize to the winner would be good motivation.
Overall, this is a broad idea centered on the possibility of increased competition between NHL and European club teams as a way to grow the game worldwide.
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