LA Kings line up London dates
Ice hockey is a relatively under-watched sport in the UK
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Tuesday, 13, Feb 2007 10:21
The Los Angles Kings ice hockey team are set to become the latest US sports franchise to attempt to woo European fans with exhibition games in London.
Greenwich's O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, has reportedly been targeted as a possible venue for two regular-season matches for the west coast outfit.
The move comes after an announcement earlier this month from the National Football League that gridiron teams the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants would meet at Wembley Stadium in October.
However the Kings' vice-president of communication Mike Alteri, whilst admitting that negotiations over the scheme were on-going, said there was still some way to go before his team arrived in the capital.
"All I can say is that nothing has been confirmed at this time," he told the Press Association.
The Los Angeles Times, which originally broke the story, claims that the Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks are the most likely opposition should the proposal succeed.
Staging the matches at the O2 Arena should not prove a stumbling block to the plans because American businessman Philip Anscutz owns both team as well as the potential venue.
There is also a precedent for taking NHL matches away from their traditional heartlands with Tokyo welcoming season-opening clashes in 1997 and 1998.