NHL pre-season action returns to Budweiser Gardens this fall.
The Florida Panthers will be taking on the Dallas Stars in an exhibition game slated for October 2 at the downtown venue.
The announcement was made at a new conference held on Tuesday.
It will be the twelfth time Budweiser Gardens has hosted an NHL pre-season game and the first time that either of the two franchises have played in London.
The game comes after a year long absence of NHL pre-season hockey in the city.
Budweiser Gardens General Manager Brian Ohl assures that last year was a fluke in an otherwise consistent tradition.
"Last year we found late in the game that some of the teams we were talking with weren't going to come, so it wasn't really much of a decision much more than opportunity didn't present itself,” says Ohl.
This year, however, Ohl was clear that a lot of thought went into scoring the game.
"We started talking with the Florida Panthers last year, and I think it was an easy decision for them to come up,” says Ohl.
Last year, Londoners were vocal about their disappointment over not getting an exhibition game. For that reason, Ohl thinks this year's game will be a big hit.
"I think people will support it,” Ohl says. “I think Londoners are sophisticated hockey fans and once they go on sale, they'll start buying tickets."
Panthers Defenceman and Windsor-native Aaron Ekblad was on hand for the announcement.
"I think it's a good opportunity for us to showcase talent in Canada,” Ekblad says. “I mean obviously we're trying to build a bigger market for us in Florida, but we're also trying to build the brand worldwide."
This won't be the first time Ekblad has taken to the ice in London either.
"I've played a ton of games in London, whether it's minor hockey or the OHL, so it's pretty special to have another chance to tear it up here,” says Ekblad.
The Panthers usually play their exhibition game against the Stars, and while Ekblad acknowledges this game doesn’t carry weight in the season, it is still a great chance to get into the right mindset.
"During the year we always have some pretty good battles against them,” says Ekblad. “Obviously it's not a very meaningful game, but it will be good to set the tone and get us ready for the season."
Tourism London is also joining the event to help in any way they can, according to General Manager John Winston.
He credits prosperous relationships with the Panthers for the game coming to fruition.
"That relationship worked well in establishing this exhibition game here,” Winston says. “They know how successful our previous exhibition games have been."
Despite last year’s NHL deficiency, Winston thinks London’s future for holding exhibition games will be a bright one.
"I think it's great news for the city, it's something that fans look forward to every year,” says Winston. “We didn't have it last year, so it's back again, and we hope to continue the tradition for years to come."
Tickets for the pre-season game go on sale at 10am on Monday at the Budweiser Gardens box office and online at www.budweisergardens.com. Prices range from $27 to $72.
**This story was written by Samuel Gallant. Samuel is a student in the Fanshawe College broadcast journalism program. He is performing a summer internship with Blackburn News.**
