North American ice hockey’s NHL has opened a new office in Europe as it seeks to expand its presence across the continent.
The new office in Zurich, Switzerland, will look to expand the league’s footprint across Europe, focusing on international operations, strategy, and development, including media and sponsorship sales.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Fan engagement events and initiatives, such as the NHL Global Fan Tour and NHL Street Hockey, and Hockey Day celebrations, will also be a focus for the Swiss-based team.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said: “We’re at a pivotal moment in our global journey.
“Establishing our corporate presence in Europe marks a critical step forward, allowing us to deepen our connection with international fans and partners alike. By investing in a new office, we’re positioning ourselves to further and better grow the game of hockey outside of North America.”
Switzerland is one of Europe’s strongest ice hockey markets and has been a priority for the NHL in recent years, with the league going so far as to host pre-season exhibition fixtures in the country against sides from the Swiss domestic National League as recently as 2022.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataIndeed, there are more than 10 Swiss players currently active in the NHL, making it one of the most-represented nationalities outside the US and Canada in the league, including four-time All-Star Game participant and Nashville Predators team captain Roman Josi.
Swiss pay-TV player MySports is the current rights holder for the NHL in the country for the 2025-26 campaign.
The announcement comes as the NHL prepares for several global events in the coming year, including the upcoming 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden, NHL player participation at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and the World Cup of Hockey 2028.
The NHL’s 2025-26 season will feature a break from February 6 to 24 to accommodate the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which will feature NHL players for the first time since 2014.
It also comes as the NHL looks to expand its worldwide media coverage, having secured international sports streaming OTT DAZN as the home of NHL.TV in nearly 200 countries and territories, excluding the US and Canada.
Last month, the NHL struck an exclusive rights deal with Australian commercial broadcaster Nine Network that will see games shown free-to-air for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
