The Devils meet the Sabres in the Czech capital to open the NHL regular season

This week, the forward will fulfill another aspiration when his New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres commence the NHL regular season with two matches in Prague.

“I have been fortunate enough to realize many of my dreams in hockey,” Palat remarked. “However, playing an NHL game in my cherished Czechia is something I never envisioned.”

The NHL global series games scheduled for Friday and Saturday will increase the total number of regular season games held in Prague to nine. Only Stockholm, Sweden, has hosted more games outside of North America.

Furthermore, two additional international games are set to take place in Tampere, Finland, on November 1-2, featuring the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers against the Dallas Stars.

Palat noted that traveling together for international games can serve as an effective team-building opportunity. Five years prior, he was part of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who swept a two-game series against the Sabres in Stockholm. The team subsequently went on to win the Stanley Cup in both 2020 and 2021.

“With Tampa, the trip to Stockholm was excellent for us,” Palat stated. “We enjoyed ourselves, and that translated into our performance on the ice. We need to replicate that experience. While we will have some fun, it is also a business trip, and we must start the season on a strong note.”

Hockey-enthusiastic nations such as Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic have emerged as primary venues for NHL regular season games abroad in recent years. Alongside Russia, these countries represent a significant portion of the European players participating in the league.

In August, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly expressed the league's intention to explore expansion into new markets, highlighting Germany, Switzerland, and Britain as potential candidates. London hosted two regular season games in 2007, while Berlin welcomed one in 2011. Notably, Switzerland has yet to host a regular season game.

The New Jersey Devils have previously competed in Europe, achieving a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2018.

The Buffalo Sabres have participated in four international games. Prior to their losses to Tampa in 2019, they secured two victories in 2011, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in Helsinki and the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 in Berlin. Recently, they also played an exhibition match in Munich.

Czech NHL players enjoy immense popularity in their home country, and the presence of Ondřej Palát and rookie forward Jiri Kulich is expected to draw a large crowd to Prague’s O2 Arena this weekend. Palát was part of the Czech team that triumphed over Switzerland to claim the world championship in the same arena in May.

In 2022, the Devils signed Palát to a five-year, $30 million contract, seeking to leverage his extensive playoff experience, which includes 101 career postseason points. However, the team did not qualify for the playoffs last spring, marking the tenth time in twelve seasons they have missed the postseason.

READ ALSO: Seattle Kraken hire NHL's first-ever female assistant coach

To effect change, the Devils appointed Sheldon Keefe, who previously led the Toronto Maple Leafs to five consecutive playoff appearances.

“We are still in the learning phase, but the players are eager to improve and are committed to establishing a sustainable program, understanding that this process will take time,” Keefe remarked.

The Sabres are aiming to break a 13-season absence from the playoffs. Coach Lindy Ruff, who led the team to its last postseason appearance in 2011, has returned after being dismissed by New Jersey. During his earlier tenure from 1997 to 2012, Buffalo made eight playoff appearances and reached the Stanley Cup final in 1999.

Ruff faces the challenge of enhancing an offense that averaged 2.98 goals per game, ranking 23rd in the league.

A positive development for the Sabres is the return of Jack Quinn, who was limited to 27 games last season due to injuries, contributing nine goals and ten assists.

“With the injuries and everything, I just haven’t been able to take the steps I’ve wanted as a player yet,” Quinn stated. “I feel like last year I would have been able to if I wasn’t injured, so I’m on a mission to do that this year.”